Servant leadership and transformational leadership: from comparisons to farewells

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to question the usefulness of comparisons between theories on servant leadership and transformational leadership. Design/methodology/approach A review of scholarly works on these two theories is presented from the original works of Greenleaf, Burns and Bass to the current research. Findings Based on the four categories of construct clarity, two competing alternatives are identifiable in the scholarship of both servant and transformational leadership. There are thus 16 versions of each theory. Research limitations/implications The literature review contains no new empirical data. The many versions available today of each theory do not make comparisons meaningful. The prevalence of several versions of theories on servant leadership and transformational leadership implies that they are no longer specific and useful theories. Originality/value Critical comments are presented on the usefulness of comparisons between servant leadership and transformational leadership. Thus, the value of these theories is also questioned.

The impact of servant leadership and transformational leadership on learning organization: a comparative analysis

“…Although most scholars understand that Greenleaf (1977) coined the term servant leadership, subsequent researchers have understood and depicted servant leaders differently with little consensus about a clear definition (Andersen, 2018; Hernandez et al , 2011; van Dierendonck, 2011). Fundamentally, however, servant leaders put followers first and help them meet their full potential (Northouse, 2018; Sendjaya et al , 2008; Spears, 2010).…”

“…Without clarification on the definitions of both leadership types, the comparison between transformational and servant leadership on learning organization is in vain (Andersen, 2018). Servant leadership and transformational leadership have been compared and examined in the literature with abundant organizational outcomes (Andersen, 2018; Bass, 2000; Parolini, 2007; Parolini et al , 2009; Schneider and George, 2011; Stone et al , 2004).…”

“…Without clarification on the definitions of both leadership types, the comparison between transformational and servant leadership on learning organization is in vain (Andersen, 2018). Servant leadership and transformational leadership have been compared and examined in the literature with abundant organizational outcomes (Andersen, 2018; Bass, 2000; Parolini, 2007; Parolini et al , 2009; Schneider and George, 2011; Stone et al , 2004). Their consensus is that transformational and servant leadership cannot be used interchangeably (Hoch et al , 2018) because transformational leadership places no direct emphasis on moral or personal development (Gandolfi and Stone, 2017).…”

“…Following Xie's (2019) and Andersen's (2018) recommendations, this paper aims to differentiate between servant leadership and transformational leadership and compare their effects on learning organization. This paper contributes to the leadership field by conceptually comparing these two leadership styles and statistically examining their relationship with learning organization.…”

Core leadership practices of school principals in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

“…In the last two decades, scholars have extensively explored leadership based upon its various styles (Cotton, 2003), its effectiveness (Branch et al, 2013; Fullan, 2004), its various competencies (Caroll et al, 2008; Northouse, 2012), its success (Wilson, 2011) and its ability to enhance student achievement (Hallinger, 2004). Scholars who studied the effects of prominent leadership models from theoretical perspectives concluded that these theories do not apply effectively across contexts (Smothers et al, 2011 Willis et al, 2017), with one scholar predicting the imminent collapse of these theories due to their numerous variations and conceptual deficiencies (Andersen, 2018).…”