Driving innovation through servant leadership in higher education: Unveiling the serial mediating mechanisms of subjective well‐being and knowledge sharing

Abstract

Academic research consistently emphasizes the significance of leadership style in driving performance outcomes within organizations. However, there remains a notable dearth of studies examining the association between servant leadership (SL) and employees' objective innovative performance. To bridge this research gap, this study adopts a dual theoretical lens, integrating the Conservation of Resource Theory and Social Exchange Theory, to explore the impact of SL on innovative performance specifically in the context of higher education institutions. In addition, this research endeavors to elucidate the mediating roles of subjective well‐being and knowledge sharing in the relationship between SL style and innovative performance. To this end, data were collected from employees and their peers in higher education institutions, and a partial least square (PLS)‐based structural equation modeling technique was used for analysis. The findings reveal a positive association between SL and employees' innovative performance. Furthermore, subjective well‐being significantly mediates the relationship between SL and innovative performance, while knowledge sharing has a trivial mediating effect. This study contributes to the literature by addressing the research gap in understanding the role of SL in enhancing innovative performance in higher education. The insights gained from this research can provide managers with valuable guidance on leveraging SL to foster employees' innovative performance.

Dampak Penerapan Servant Leadership Di Institusi Pendidikan Tinggi: Sebuah Tinjauan Literatur

“…Isu kepemimpinan dalam dunia pendidikan menjadi sangat penting setelah terjadinya pandemik Covid-19 karena para pimpinan pendidikan tinggi tidak ada yang memperkirakan dampak yang ditimbulkan oleh pandemik terhadap institusi pendidikan tinggi [8], oleh karena itu perlu melakukan perubahan dan beradaptasi untuk dapat bertahan [9], bahkan berbagai penelitian akademis secara konsisten menekankan pentingnya servant leadership dalam mendorong hasil kinerja dalam organisasi [10], serta keberlanjutan organisasi [11]. Penelitian ini mendorong melakukan langkah-langkah yang jelas sebagai pengetahuan para pemimpin untuk mampu mempertahankan organisasi dan beradaptasi dengan perubahan lingkungan.…”

“…Salah satu tema yang menonjol adalah korelasi positif antara perilaku servant leadership dengan keterlibatan karyawan, kepuasan kerja, dan komitmen organisasi [12],[1], [13]. Penelitian secara konsisten menunjukkan bahwa ketika para pemimpin menunjukkan kualitas seperti seorang pelayan seperti empati, kerendahan hati, keterampilan mendengarkan, dan pemberdayaan, mereka lebih mungkin untuk menciptakan lingkungan kerja yang mendukung yang mendorong kolaborasi dan inovasi [14], [10]. Temuan penting lainnya adalah dampak servant leadership terhadap hasil belajar siswa.…”