The elephant in the room: exploring the motivational antecedents of servant leadership

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (5) ◽  
pp. 637-652
Author(s):  
Joshua Paas ◽  
Rob F. Poell ◽  
Saša Batistič
Keyword(s):  
Servant Leadership ◽  
Need Satisfaction ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Motivation To Lead ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Psychological Need ◽  
Confirmatory Factor ◽  
Positive Work Environment ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Positive Work

PurposeThis paper aims to examine how psychological need satisfaction (PNS) relates to the display of servant leadership (SL) behavior through the motivation to serve (MTS) and non-calculative motivation to lead (MTL).Design/methodology/approachData were collected using an electronic online questionnaire completed by 125 individuals from various organizations and industries. Data were analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and regression analysis.FindingsPNS, MTS and non-calculative MTL were found to relate positively to the display of SL behavior. Moreover, both MTS and non-calculative MTL were found to mediate fully the relationship between PNS and SL.Originality/valueThis study is one of the first to investigate the motivational antecedents of SL. Moreover, it is the first to empirically study PNS as an antecedent of SL. The findings emphasize the importance of a leader's PNS in their motivation to display SL behavior, implying that a positive work environment is conducive to SL.

How to increase organizational commitment through transactional leadership

2016 ◽  
Vol 37 (4) ◽  
pp. 507-519 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leila Afshari ◽  
Paul Gibson
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Commitment ◽  
Transactional Leadership ◽  
Underlying Mechanism ◽  
Need Satisfaction ◽  
Mediation Effect ◽  
Healthcare Sector ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Psychological Need ◽  
Manufacturing Organization ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between transactional leadership and willing organizational commitment in two significantly different organizations (one from the healthcare sector and one from manufacturing). Design/methodology/approach – Partial Least Squares was used to develop a mediation model explaining the underlying mechanism between contingent reward leadership and willing organizational commitment. Findings – The data indicates that, as expected, the relationship between transactional leadership and willing commitment in the manufacturing organization was mediated by both competence and relatedness; however, in the healthcare organization, to the surprise, this relationship was mediated by competence only. Practical implications – The authors develop a model that could help organizational managers and consultants improve the productivity and effectiveness of their work by taking the findings into account. Originality/value – Previous research has focused on the effectiveness of transformational research: this paper is one of the first to explore the relationship between transactional leadership and willing organizational commitment, taking into account the mediation effect of psychological need satisfaction.

Supervisor monitoring and subordinate work attitudes: a need satisfaction and supervisory support perspective

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (8) ◽  
pp. 1089-1105
Author(s):  
Madhurima Mishra ◽  
Koustab Ghosh
Keyword(s):  
Job Satisfaction ◽  
Work Attitudes ◽  
Need Satisfaction ◽  
Supervisory Support ◽  
Affective Organizational Commitment ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Psychological Need ◽  
Perceived Supervisory Support ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Psychological Need Satisfaction

PurposeDrawing on self-determination theory and organizational support theory, the present study explored how two styles of supervisor monitoring, namely, interactional and observational, differently impact job satisfaction and affective organizational commitment of subordinates. In addition, the mediating roles of psychological need satisfaction from the supervisor and perceived supervisory support were also investigated.Design/methodology/approachResponses were collected from 183 full-time employees through a web-based survey, and data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM).FindingsResults indicate that interactional monitoring positively influences psychological need satisfaction from the supervisor and perceived supervisory support, while observational monitoring negatively influences psychological need satisfaction from the supervisor and perceived supervisory support. Psychological need satisfaction from the supervisor fully mediates the relationship between interactional monitoring and affective organizational commitment, while perceptions of supervisory support partially mediate the relationship between the two monitoring styles and job satisfaction.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings of the study need to be interpreted with caution as causality could not be inferred due to the cross-sectional nature of the study.Practical implicationsSupervisors are advised to adopt an interactional style of monitoring, as it favorably influences the work attitudes of subordinates.Originality/valueThe present study is one of the few works that have examined the differential impact of supervisor monitoring styles on subordinates' work outcomes.

Servant leadership and the Scrum team’s effectiveness

2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (7) ◽  
pp. 873-882 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nico Holtzhausen ◽  
Jeremias J. de Klerk
Keyword(s):  
Servant Leadership ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Organizational Level ◽  
Western Cape ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Software Development Teams ◽  
Leader Role

Purpose Scrum is a development methodology that has been rapidly gaining popularity over the last decade particularly for software development teams. The Scrum master is sometimes viewed as a servant leader of the Scrum team. The purpose of this paper is to investigate to what extent Scrum masters actually make use of servant leadership and how this impacts on the team’s effectiveness via mediating processes. Design/methodology/approach The research followed a quantitative approach. An online questionnaire was prepared and completed by 71 Scrum team members (excluding Scrum masters) and 22 Scrum masters in more than ten organizations based in Western Cape, South Africa. Findings Scrum masters in this sample extensively used the servant leadership approach, but those who are also appointed as formal team leaders are seen to be considerably better servant leaders by team members. There is a moderately strong correlation between servant leadership of the Scrum master and team effectiveness. It was found that high levels of psychological safety do not necessarily translate into team performance. Research limitations/implications Research was only performed at the unit level of analysis and not the team or organizational level. This was a cross-sectional study and variations over time were not considered. Practical implications The results confirm the importance of servant leadership skills when identifying and developing Scrum masters, appointing the formal team leader role in Scrum teams and implementing Scrum practices effectively. Originality/value As could be established, this is the first time that the role of servant leadership in Scrum teams was formally investigated.

Effects of emerging leadership styles on engagement – a mediation analysis in a military context

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonia Ruiz Moreno ◽  
María Isabel Roldán Bravo ◽  
Carlos García-Guiu ◽  
Luis M. Lozano ◽  
Natalio Extremera Pacheco ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Servant Leadership ◽  
Leadership Styles ◽  
Employee Engagement ◽  
Leadership Style ◽  
Authentic Leadership ◽  
Proactive Personality ◽  
Military Leaders ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Military ◽  
The Relationship

PurposeThis paper aims to report the findings of a study examining the relationship between different leadership styles and engagement through the mediating role of proactive personality.Design/methodology/approachServant leadership, paradoxical leadership, authentic leadership, employee engagement and proactive personality were assessed in an empirical study based on a sample of 348 military personnel in Spain. The questionnaire data were analyzed through SEM using EQS and bootstrapping analysis using the PROCESS macro for SPSS.FindingsThe results reveal that servant leadership style in officers partially impacts their cadets' engagement through proactive personality but that authentic and paradoxical leadership styles do not mediate the relationship. The authors also verify a direct relationship between proactive personality and engagement.Practical implicationsThe study implications advance the literature on leadership in emphasizing new leadership styles to increase proactive personality and engagement in the military context. This study verifies the importance of military leaders fostering servant leadership as an antecedent of proactive personality. Finally, the authors show that servant leadership partially impacts engagement through proactive personality.Originality/valueThis study explores the relationship among servant, paradoxical and authentic leadership styles, proactive personality, and engagement – relationships that have not been explored theoretically and tested empirically in the military context.

Exploring the Relationship Between College Students’ Barriers to Exercise and Motivation

2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
James W. Ball ◽  
Matthew R. Bice ◽  
Kimberly A. Maljak
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
College Students ◽  
Nontraditional Students ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Need Satisfaction ◽  
School Work ◽  
Psychological Need ◽  
Barriers To Exercise ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
The Relationship

Background: Demographics among college students are becoming increasingly diverse and the enrollment of students who are considered “nontraditional” is on the rise. Traditional and nontraditional students are faced with numerous physical activity barriers and increased responsibilities when it comes to balancing school, work, and physical activity. The purpose of this study was to examine relationships between college students’ barriers to exercise and motivation among traditional and nontraditional students. Furthermore, the study explored the relationships between college students’ barriers to exercise and motivation among males and females. Methods: Participants (n = 217) completed the Barriers to Being Active Questionnaire, the Psychological Need Satisfaction in Exercise Questionnaire, and the InternationalPhysical Activity Questionnaire. Results: The study found there were no differences among motivational factors, barriers to exercise, and traditional and nontraditional students. Females in this study reported significantly higher ratings of barriers compared to males. However, they reported higher ratings in the competence construct of Self-Determination Theory as compared to males. Conclusions: The current study,revealed traditional and nontraditional students, as well as males and females, all reported the same top three barriers to exercise that include: lack of time, energy, and willpower. Understanding college students’ motivation and barriers to physical activity is an important step in developing strategies to help them enhance their health and well-being. With the help of health professionals, college students can learn howto overcome these barriers.

Radical re-imagination: centering a BIPOC library workforce in an asset-based autoethnography

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Janis J. Shearer ◽  
Ben B. Chiewphasa
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
Deficit Thinking ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Shared Purpose ◽  
Positive Work Environment ◽  
Supportive Community ◽  
Workplace Cultures ◽  
Positive Work ◽  
The Ideal

PurposeAcademic BIPOC librarians oftentime struggle to envision themselves and navigate in White-dominant spaces due to deficit thinking. To better understand how DEIA efforts can bolster structural change in academic libraries, the two BIPOC authors opted to lean on an asset-based exercise–imagining a positive work environment made possible through a library staffed entirely by BIPOC individuals.Design/methodology/approachThrough collaborative autoethnography, the two authors interviewed one another and centered their unstructured conversations around one question: “What does an academic library composed entirely of a BIPOC workforce look like?” Three emergent themes were agreed upon and finalized by the two authors.FindingsThe authors' imagined library is able to foster a supportive community and also function efficiently thanks to its shared purpose grounded in DEIA. Despite relying on an asset-based framework, the authors found themselves having to reckon with trials and tribulations currently faced by BIPOC librarians. Effectively envisioning the “ideal” library environment is not possible without also engaging with librarianship's legacy of racial injustices.Originality/valueRecognizing that confronting systems of oppression naturally invokes trauma, this paper encourages librarians to challenge deficit thinking and instead rely on asset-based models to candidly imagine an anti-racist academic library. The authors acknowledge that BIPOC voices and experiences add tremendous value to the library workplace. At the heart of this paper is the belief that reparations for past racial injustices should not only fix past wrongdoings, but also contribute to positive workplace cultures.

Multicultural Leadership in Higher Education

2017 ◽  
pp. 139-164 ◽  
Author(s):  
James S. Bridgeforth
Keyword(s):  
Work Environment ◽  
Academic Departments ◽  
People Of Color ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Academic Leaders ◽  
Multicultural Leadership ◽  
Leadership In Higher Education ◽  
Positive Work Environment ◽  
Barriers And Challenges ◽  
Positive Work

Women and people of color are vastly underrepresented in the American professoriate; although the presence of female faculty and professors of color is beneficial to the academy on various levels, these groups often face numerous barriers and challenges while serving in the professoriate and striving for promotion and tenure. This study was designed to investigate demonstrated multicultural awareness and positive work environment with regard to race, gender, or a combination within academic departments to help academic leaders better develop and understand multicultural leadership. Data were collected from 650 tenured and tenure-track faculty through an online questionnaire. The data analysis revealed that males and females of color within the professoriate report a less positive work environment than Caucasian faculty.

scholarly journals Socio-Demographic Characteristics of Managers and Employees Attitude Towards Managing the Workplace Diversity

2015 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 329
Author(s):  
Babita Mukherjee ◽  
Dikshit Gambhir ◽  
Arooj Yaswi
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Work Environment ◽  
Workplace Diversity ◽  
Efficient Manner ◽  
Positive Work Environment ◽  
Increase Productivity ◽  
Attitude Difference ◽  
Multicultural Workforce ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Positive Work

<p>In this era of globalization, workplace diversity has become the salient aspect of any organization. It helps to increase productivity, efficiency and maintain a positive work environment within the organization. The study assessed the attitude difference that managers come across and how to get benefited from the diversity in the workforce. The investigation was set out to find the relationship between openness to diversity and managerial attitude, based on the data collected from 213 managers of the companies working in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The hypotheses are used to guide the study and are tested using ANOVA. The result revealed that there exists a relationship between the manager’s demographic factors, like nationality, and the attitude towards managing the workplace. Organizations will look at the numerous benefits of this research and explain the managers’ attitudes towards managing the multicultural workforce diversity in Saudi Arabia and its benefits within the company with different expertise to do the task in an effective and efficient manner. Thus, this research will benefit the organizations by explaining the managers’ attitudes towards managing the multicultural workforce and also showing how diversity can lead to perform a task in an effective and efficient manner.</p>

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