Examining the Impact of Servant Leadership on Salesperson’s Turnover Intention

TLDR

Sales force retention is frequently deemed a critical organizational objective. Responses from 501 full‑time salespeople across industries were used to test a model examining how servant leadership influences turnover intention. The study finds that servant leadership reduces turnover intention through a complex moderated and mediated chain involving ethical level, person–organization fit, and organizational commitment, and its effect is amplified when the organization is perceived as unethical, with managerial implications and future research directions also provided.

Abstract

Sales force retention is frequently deemed a critical organizational objective. Responses from 501 full-time salespeople from a variety of industries were used to test a model that examines the impact of servant leadership on salesperson's turnover intention. This study shows that servant leadership affects turnover intention through a complex moderated and mediated chain-of-effects that involves ethical level, person–organization fit, and organization commitment. This study also shows that servant leadership gains importance when the organization is perceived by the salesperson as unethical. Managerial implications and directions for future research are also provided.