The contagious servant leadership: exploring the role of servant leadership in leading employees to servant colleagueship

Abstract

Purpose This paper intends to ascertain whether servant leadership can trigger servant colleagueship among subordinates. Additionally, the study is set out to divulge the mediating role of self-transcendence relating servant leadership to servant colleagueship. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from the respondents in three waves that were two months apart. In the first wave, employees rated their managers' servant leadership behavior. In the second wave, employees rated their self-transcendence, and finally, they rated their colleague-directed servant behavior. The final sample size for the study was 209 employees employed in the service sector. Structural equational modeling through Smart-PLS and hierarchical regression through SPSS were used for data analysis. Findings The study found servant leadership to be related to self-transcendence and employees' enacted servant colleagueship. Additionally, the study found self-transcendence to mediate the relationship between servant leadership and servant colleagueship. Originality/value The study has established the previously unexplored mediating role of self-transcendence linking servant leadership to servant colleagueship. The study is also the first to empirically test the relationship between self-transcendence and servant colleagueship.