Servant Leadership Behavior Research Articles

Servant leadership and innovative work behavior: the role of innovation climate using evidence from the Ugandan local government sector

PurposeDrawing from the social exchange theory and leadership-making model, this study aimed to develop a research model where innovation climate (IC) mediates the servant leadership (SL) influence on innovative work behavior (IWB).Design/methodology/approachThrough structural equation modeling, we evaluated the aforementioned links using data gathered from 324 employees drawn from Uganda’s local government (LG) employees.FindingsThe findings show that the impact of SL on IWB is mediated by IC. An IC within the organization is made possible by effective SL ethos; moreover, this climate promotes IWB. Also, the innovative nature of LG employees promotes IWB.Research limitations/implicationsLG leadership ought to be committed to the SL philosophy since it fosters an environment that encourages IWB. To spark IWB, it should also take advantage of the innovative environment. Management must make sure that in such a setting, supervisors are construed as servant leaders and low cadre staff have the capacity to be servant leaders. Employees will be more motivated to contribute to the organization by engaging in high IWB once they have received the training, empowerment and rewards they deserve in a setting that emphasizes effective SL principles.Originality/valueDespite the existence of numerous studies, there is little empirical evidence that SL influences IWB within the setting of the LG sector. Evidence for the underlying mechanism by which SL promotes IWB is still lacking. Third, we explicitly test the IWB model developed based on euro-leaning theories using the LG context. Finally, there is a dearth of data relevant to how IC affects IWB. The research addresses these gaps.

Servant Leadership and Employees' Work Safety Behavior: The Moderating Role of Corporate Social Responsibility to Employees

Servant Leadership and Employees' Work Safety Behavior: The Moderating Role of Corporate Social Responsibility to Employees

The effect of servant leadership on organizational citizenship behavior in the South Korean Police: the mediating roles of psychological empowerment and organizational commitment

PurposeThis study explored the relationship between servant leadership (SL) and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) from the perspective of South Korean Police officers. We also investigated the mediating roles of psychological empowerment (PE) and organizational commitment (OC).Design/methodology/approachIn this study, the authors analyzed 439 survey responses from South Korean Police officers. The mediation model was tested using structural equation modeling.FindingsThe results showed that SL had a significantly positive influence on OCB among South Korean Police. Moreover, PE and OC partially mediated the relationship between SL and OCB. Officers who perceive their leader as a servant leader are more likely to have a positive perception of OCB. These findings show that PE is a more efficient mediator than OC.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the generalization of knowledge by empirically testing the relationship between SL and OCB in the South Korean Police. The results show that SL theory can be applied to the Korean Police. By capturing the specific characteristics of the Korean Police, such as the powerful effect of PE, this study supports leadership contingency theory.

Servant and Crisis Manager? The Association of Servant Leadership with Followers’ Adaptivity and Proactivity

Crisis situations require employees to be adaptive and proactive in order to be successfully managed. Because servant leaders focus on serving their followers, they should be able to fulfill their followers’ needs and respond appropriately to situations that cause uncertainty, thereby helping them manage crises. Against this backdrop, we investigated whether the perception of servant leadership can support follower adaptivity and proactivity in a crisis context. Additionally, we examined two potential mediating processes to explain these relationships (i.e., followers’ basic psychological need satisfaction and procedural justice perceptions). Using a longitudinal study with three measurement points between March 2020 (at the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis) and October 2020, we surveyed 129 teachers employed at several schools in a private school association in Germany. In line with our hypotheses, the results of the path analysis showed that servant leadership perceptions were positively associated with both mediators. The relationships between servant leadership and followers’ proactivity and adaptivity were mediated by basic need satisfaction. However, contrary to our assumptions, we found no direct associations between servant leadership and follower behavior, no indirect relationship between servant leadership and adaptivity via procedural justice, and even a negative indirect relationship between servant leadership and proactive behavior via procedural justice. Based on our findings, we discuss the potential benefits and negative implications of servant leadership in the crisis context.

Servant leadership and citizenship behavior in the Pakistani tourism and hospitality industry: The role of harmonious environmental passion and a green work climate

This research investigated the mechanisms and contextual factors influencing the relationship between servant leadership tailored to specific environments and environmental citizenship behavior, considering the Conservation of Resource Theory as a theoretical lens. Data collection was collected from 300 employees and their supervisors, including several organizations within the Pakistani Hospitality and Tourism sector, and the data underwent analysis using PLS-SEM. Empirical findings showed that the relationship between environmental-specific servant leadership and organizational environmental citizenship behavior is mediated by harmonious environmental passion. The green work climate positively moderates the indirect effects of harmonious environmental passion on organizational environmental citizenship behavior, suggesting that this effect is strengthened when employees have a higher green work climate than with a lower green work climate. Guidelines for future research are provided.

Moderating effect of chief executive officer servant leadership on the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and firm performance

Although entrepreneurial orientation (EO) is widely believed to benefit firms, it is increasingly considered necessary but insufficient for achieving superior firm performance. To better understand the circumstances under which EO is beneficial for firms, we adopt a resource-based perspective to introduce chief executive officer (CEO) servant leadership as a critical moderator of the EO–performance relationship. We validate our predictions using multi-point data from 170 small firms in India. The results reveal that three servant leadership behaviours – altruistic calling, wisdom and emotional healing – strengthen the EO–performance relationship. Furthermore, consistent with systems logic, the performance benefits of EO are found to be greater when the CEO servant leadership is closer to an ‘ideal’ configuration of behaviours. Overall, our findings contribute to a better understanding of the role of CEO leadership behaviours in fully actualising EO’s performance potential, thus illuminating the importance of aligning a firm’s strategic posture with other constructs of interest.

The Effect of Servant Leadership Style on Organizational Commitment: The Case Study of Ileys Enterprise Detergent Manufacturing Company in Burao, Somaliland

Purpose: This study examined the effect of servant leadership style on organizational commitment in Ileys enterprise detergent manufacturing company in Burao, Somaliland. Methodology: The study employed a cross-sectional survey design, explanatory research, and quantitative approach; the target population was 200 employees working currently at Ileys enterprise detergent in the Burao district. The study used the census method. Data was collected from primary sources using standardized servant leadership style and organizational commitment questionnaires, adapted from previously used standard questionnaires. The study used SPSS for data analysis. Correlation and regression were used to analyze the relationship between servant leadership styles and organizational commitment. Findings: The regression results showed that the types of servant leadership styles have significant contributions to organizational commitment (R = 0.720, p = 0.000). It was concluded that all the servant leadership styles affect employee commitment. In The authenticity dimension of servant leadership was found to be the dominant servant leadership style (β =.557, p =0.000) in the Ileys enterprise. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The study was used the servant leadership theory. To increase employees’ organizational commitment, manufacturing enterprise should develop training programs or mentoring by professionals for the supervisors and leaders that support servant leadership development. The study recommended that private manufacturing enterprises could practice the information to help develop strategies and meet organizational needs through servant leadership behavior development

SERVANT LEADERSHIP AND EMPLOYEES’ KNOWLEDGE HIDING BEHAVIOR: TESTING MEDIATING ROLE OF SELF-EFFICACY

The fundamental objective of this study was to assess the effect of servant leadership on nurses' tendency to conceal knowledge in the context of a selected healthcare institution in Erzincan, Turkey. In order to evaluate the research hypotheses, we used a convenient sampling technique and collected data at two different time intervals from relevant sources. The initial data collection phase yielded a final sample of 400 valid and complete responses from nurses, which we subsequently analyzed using SPSS version 25. Our findings exposed a important relationship between servant leadership and knowledge withholding behaviour among nurses. Furthermore, the variable of self-efficacy emerged as a partial mediator between servant leadership and knowledge-hiding tendencies. This research donates to the understanding of knowledge-hiding behaviour, a critical component of knowledge management, through the lens of servant leadership, drawing on insights from both social exchange and leader-member exchange (LMX) theories

Perceived meaningfulness or ego depletion? A two-path model of servant leadership behaviors influence on intention to leave

ABSTRACT Based on the conservation of resources theory, this study integrates the positive and negative aspects of the impact of servant leadership behaviors in the hospitality industry on leaders themselves. Using leaders’ and followers’ paired data from 346 employees nested in 101 teams and analyzed using path regression methods. The results reveal that servant leadership behaviors were positively related to the leader’s ego depletion, and the leader’s ego depletion was positively associated with the leader’s intention to leave. Servant leadership behaviors were positively related to leaders’ perceived work meaningfulness, and followers’ agreeableness significantly moderated the relationship between servant leadership behaviors and leaders’ ego depletion and the relationship between servant leadership behaviors and leaders’ perceived work meaningfulness. These findings broaden our understanding of the effects of servant leadership behaviors and provide new ideas on how to intervene in the negative effects of servant leadership behaviors.

Structural Analysis of Servant Leadership Promotes Employee Resilience and Organizational Citizenship Behavior among Employees

This research aims to elucidate the relationship between servant leadership and organizational citizenship behavior mediated by employee resilience. The research employed a descriptive and verificative method with data analysis using Structural Equation Modeling. Primary data were collected through a survey of 398 employees from a state-owned bank in the Batam City region. The findings reveal that employee resilience has a positive and significant effect on the relationship between servant leadership and organizational citizenship behavior. The impact of servant leadership on organizational citizenship behavior is more dominant compared to the influence of employee resilience. However, this study has limitations. Organizational citizenship behavior is not solely influenced by servant leadership and employee resilience but is also affected by other factors, necessitating further research. The results of this study also suggest expanding the scope of the analytical unit to provide a broader contribution to the understanding of organizational citizenship behavior.

Servant leadership and employee innovative behaviour: Unpacking the role of support for innovation and creative self-efficacy in knowledge intensive service context

Employee innovative behaviour is widely emphasized as a critical driver of organizational innovation. Drawing on social information processing theory, this research proposes that by exhibiting servant leadership style, organizational managers can stimulate employee innovative behaviour directly and through the mechanism of support for innovation. This study also anticipates that the role of of employees’ creative self-efficacy in strengthening the influence of support for innovation on innovative behaviour. To test the proposed relationships, data is collected from 338 IT professionals working in twelve large-sized IT-based service organizations of Pakistan. The results surfaced from PLS-SEM analysis indicate strong support for direct and positive linkage between servant leadership and innovative behaviour and significant role of support for innovation in mediating this relationship. However, the accentuating role of creative self-effecacy is not supported. This study extends existing knowledge concerning the nexus between servant leadership and innovation by examining the mechanism of support for innivation by which servant leadership can augment employee innovative behaviour. Findings of this research entails vital implications for service organizations striving for superior innovation performance. Furthermore, some contradictory findings of this research call for further empirical investigation for more finegrained managerial implications.

Target similarity and gender difference: Effects of servant leadership on supervisory commitment and supervisory citizenship behavior

PurposeThis study applies the target similarity model to examine the effects of servant leadership on supervisor commitment and supervisor citizenship behavior. The mediating role of supervisory commitment is explored to determine the relationship between servant leadership and supervisor citizenship behavior. The difference in supervisor gender is examined in the linkage between servant leadership and supervisory commitment.Design/methodology/approachThe data were collected through a survey of 478 salespeople in the retail industry. Structural equation modeling (SEM) techniques were used to verify the hypotheses of this study.FindingsThe findings showed significant support for the direct and indirect effects of servant leadership on supervisor commitment and supervisor citizenship behavior. Furthermore, the positive relationship between servant leadership and supervisory commitment was stronger among female supervisors than male supervisors.Originality/valueDue to the scarcity of studies conducted on the linkages of servant leadership, supervisory commitment and supervisory citizenship behavior, this study theoretically and empirically contributes to the leadership literature as it is the first study to investigate these direct and indirect relationships. Similarly, this study examined gender differences in servant leadership to fill the gap in the research field.

Staff Commitment in Ugandan Public Universities: Does Servant Leadership Matter?

This study investigates how staff commitment in Uganda's public universities is impacted by servant leadership. In many organizational contexts, servant leadership a leadership philosophy that puts the needs of the team first and motivates leaders to serve their staff has been gaining traction. Empirical research on its impact on staff commitment in Ugandan public universities is limited, despite its potential advantages. By examining whether and how servant leadership impacts staff commitment in the education sector, this study seeks to close this knowledge gap. The results of this study may influence leadership practices in public universities in Uganda as well as in other comparable educational environments worldwide. This study looks at how staff members' commitment to their schools is affected by public university leaders' servant leadership behaviours. Data for the study came from 214 employees of Uganda's public universities. A servant organizational leadership assessment scale was used to gauge the servant leadership behaviours of university administrators, and an organizational commitment scale was used to gauge staff members' organizational commitment. This study shows a significant and favourable correlation between staff members' commitment to the university and the servant leadership behaviours of university leaders. Servant leadership was a strong predictor of staff commitment.

Servant Leadership and Organizational Citizenship Behavior in Indonesian Christian Higher Education: Direct and Indirect Effects

The study aimed to identify the effect of servant leadership on organizational citizenship behavior and establish direct and indirect effects in Indonesian Christian higher education. This study used quantitative methods with the partial least squares structural equation modeling approach to verify the hypothesis that has been proposed. The results showed that servant leadership has no significant direct effect on organizational citizenship behavior. Servant leadership has a significant direct effect on trust, job satisfaction and leader-member exchange. Meanwhile, trust, job satisfaction and leader-member exchange mediate the effect of servant leadership on organizational citizenship behavior. Finally, trust and leader-member exchange mediate the effect of servant leadership on job satisfaction.

DAMPAK PENERAPAN SERVANT LEADERSHIP DI INSTITUSI PENDIDIKAN TINGGI: SEBUAH TINJAUAN LITERATUR

This literature review examines the impact of servant leadership implementation in higher education institutions. Through a synthesis of existing research, it identifies the benefits, challenges, and outcomes associated with servant leadership practices in academia. The review highlights how servant leadership fosters collaboration, empowerment, and trust among faculty, staff, and students, leading to improved communication, engagement, motivation, and community within institutions. It also underscores the positive correlation between servant leadership behaviors and employee engagement, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment. Additionally, the review emphasizes the impact of servant leadership on student learning outcomes, including academic achievement, engagement, retention, and satisfaction. Scholars are increasingly focusing on developing servant leadership competencies among academic administrators and faculty and conducting longitudinal studies to assess long-term effects and best practices. Overall, the findings underscore the significant impact of servant leadership on higher education quality and organizational success, emphasizing the need to integrate servant leadership principles into leadership practices within higher education institutions. Further research in this area can provide deeper insights into effective servant leadership practices and their practical implications in higher education.

The Influence of Servant Leadership on Internal Career Success: An Examination of Psychological Climates and Career Progression Expectations

Servant leadership's positive effects on employee attitudes and motivations are well-documented. However, it remains unclear how and whether the employee beneficiaries of servant leadership choose to remain and thrive with their current employer. Would employees remain with employers and advance within their organizations after exposure to servant leadership, or is it possible that the advantages gained make them more inclined to explore better opportunities elsewhere? We examine this question from a social learning perspective by investigating the process through which an employee's experience of servant leadership behaviors influences their voluntary turnover and promotion attainment. We propose a serially mediated model in which an employee's perception of servant leadership increases promotion attainment while reducing voluntary turnover via perceptions of two psychological climates (caring and instrumental) and subsequent changes in employee career progression expectations. These predictions were tested in a 4-wave field study in which objective measures of turnover and employee promotions were tracked throughout a 12-month period. The results reveal support for the hypothesized serial mediation model. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of this research and outline directions for future research.

School principals’ job crafting profiles and their differences during the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to explore school principals’ job crafting profiles during the prolonged COVID-19 crisis in 2021, and investigate profile differences regarding principals’ own perceived servant leadership, stress and work meaningfulness.Design/methodology/approachUsing latent profile analysis (LPA), two job crafting profiles were identified: (1) active crafters (55%) and (2) average crafters (45%). By auxiliary measurement-error-weighted-method (BCH), we examined whether and how job crafting profiles differed in terms of servant leadership, stress and work meaningfulness.FindingsActive crafters reported higher than the overall mean level of approach-oriented job crafting (increasing job resources and demands), whereas average crafters reported an overall mean level of approach-oriented job crafting. Avoidance-oriented job crafting by decreasing hindering job demands did not differentiate the two profiles. Active crafters reported significantly higher servant leadership behavior, stress and work meaningfulness than average crafters.Originality/valueStudy findings provide new knowledge and reflect the implications that the unprecedented pandemic had for education. This study contributes to the existing literature within the scholarship of job crafting through empirical research during the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic. For practitioners, these study findings reflect contextual constraints, organizational processes and culture, and leadership in workplaces.

Exploring the Influence of Servant Leadership and Job Engagement on Affective Commitment and Organizational Citizenship Behavior in the Agricultural Sector

The agricultural sector is currently facing an era of disruption amidst the industrial revolution which ultimately forces human resources to adapt, including agricultural human resources. Researchers have highlighted the role of servant leadership and job engagement on affective commitment and organizational citizenship behavior. This research aims to analyze the improvement in the performance of government officials in agricultural development (food crops, horticulture, and fisheries) through the arrangement of human resources, namely, Civil Servants allocated to servant leadership roles and job engagement in affective commitment and organizational citizenship behavior. According to the gap theory they are placing job engagement as a mediator in conditioning servant leadership on affective commitment and organizational citizenship behavior. Causal design with a positivism (quantitative) paradigm to test the proposed hypothesis. Involving around 118 Civil Servants in regional organizations of the Agriculture Service, Food Crops and Horticulture Service, and South Konawe Regency Fisheries Service. The research was conducted for five months, between May and September 2023. Starting from distributing questionnaires to compiling research results. This number is determined randomly proportionally. Data was obtained by distributing questionnaires, using a Likert scale. Data were analyzed with the help of SEM using AMOS 7 software. Servant leadership is proven to play a significant role in job engagement, affective commitment, and organizational citizenship behavior. Then job engagement hurts affective commitment and organizational citizenship behavior. Job engagement acts as a mediator between servant leadership and organizational citizenship behavior. This finding is in line with the performance achievements of the agriculture, forestry, and fisheries sectors which show an increase in their respective contributions to the regional economy in 2018 from IDR 2,103 billion to IDR 2,435 billion in 2022. Theoretically, government organizations in implementing job engagement are so weak that they are unable to create affective commitment and organizational citizenship behavior. Based on these findings, it is necessary to strengthen the implementation of job engagement, and to prove this model, it is necessary to carry out further analysis on a wider scale and with a diversity of sample characteristics. The practical implication is that increasing the achievements of this sector in the future can be done by maximizing job engagement, affective commitment, organizational citizenship behavior, and servant leadership. The resulting novelty is the mediating role of job engagement on the influence of servant leadership on affective commitment, and organizational citizenship behavior, achievements in the agricultural, forestry, and fisheries sectors.

The nexus between servant leadership and organizational citizenship behavior through the mediating role of perceived organizational politics in Ethiopian federal public service organizations

The nexus between servant leadership and organizational citizenship behavior through the mediating role of perceived organizational politics in Ethiopian federal public service organizations

Environmental-Specific Servant Leadership and Organizational Environmental Citizenship Behavior: The Mediating Role of Harmonious Environmental Passion

Activities within the tourism industry contribute to environmental issues, including climate change, resource depletion, emission of pollutants impacting air and water quality, and generation of sound and light pollution. Furthermore, these actions can lead to species extinction. Leadership has been identified as a key factor in enhancing green performance both at the individual and organizational levels. Our objective is to elucidate the mechanisms and contextual limitations influencing the correlation between environmental-specific servant leadership and organizational environmental citizenship behavior, utilizing insights from the conservation of resource theory. The suggested connections were explored through the acquisition of data via a survey conducted among 300 employees and their supervisors employed across diverse organizations within the hospitality and tourism sectors. The data underwent analysis using PLS-SEM, and the empirical findings substantiated that the relationship between environmental-specific servant leadership and organizational environmental citizenship behavior is mediated by harmonious environmental passion. These findings contribute to the conservation of resource theory.