Servant leadership, self-efficacy and life satisfaction in the public sector of Pakistan: exploratory, symmetric, and asymmetric analyses

Abstract

PurposeThe objectives of the study are threefold. First, it offers the development and validation of a scale to measure public sector servant leadership. Second, the study assesses the mediating role of self-efficacy in the relationship of servant leadership with life satisfaction. Finally, based on the tenets of complexity theory, fsQCA was utilized to identify the causal recipes that could lead to improved self-efficacy and life satisfaction in public sector employees.Design/methodology/approachFollowing a cross-sectional research design, data were collected from 352 public sector employees in Pakistan. CB-SEM and fsQCA techniques were used for data analysis.FindingsResults revealed that leadership is a multidimensional construct having dimensions: authenticity, behaving ethically, development, emotional healing, humility and wisdom. Furthermore, the results showed a significant inter-relationship of servant leadership with self-efficacy and life satisfaction. Self-efficacy mediated the relationship between servant leadership and life satisfaction. The results showed various configurations of servant leadership dimensions leading to improved self-efficacy and life satisfaction.Originality/valueThis is one of the first studies to conceptualize the SL in the public sector and to develop a multidimensional scale for measuring and assessing its psychometric properties. The research contributes to existing knowledge by examining the role of servant leadership in promoting employee life satisfaction through self-efficacy. As a methodological contribution, the study is one of the first to use fsQCA in SL literature. Due to the greater emphasis on symmetric methods, there is a significant lack of research studies on causal configuration in public sector organizations.

The Interplay of Servant Leader and Interpersonal Trust in Predicting Employee-Based Brand Equity: Moderating Role of Ethical Work Climate

“…A sample item for this scale includes, “The level of trust my leader places in me increases my commitment to the organization,” and “My leader trusts me to keep a secret.” This scale illustrates the leader’s behavior in terms of their focus as a steward of the organization, increasing subordinate interactions as a mission of responsibility. Previously, this scale has been used by other researchers ( Latif et al, 2022 ).…”

“…Including these factors, interpersonal trust is highlighted. The positive anticipation that everyone will add to his/her general wellbeing without inflicting harm is referred to as interpersonal trust ( Latif et al, 2022 ).…”

Influence of servant leadership on the life satisfaction of basic education teachers: the mediating role of satisfaction with job resources

“…Employees with high-quality LMX have greater information exchange with their leaders, as well as higher levels of trust and support (Tu and Lu, 2016;Fu et al, 2019;Pan et al, 2021). Due to its people-centered approach, followers are expected to have greater well-being and satisfaction, making service-oriented leadership a significant factor for individual life satisfaction (Van Dierendonck et al, 2014;Li et al, 2018;Latif et al, 2022).…”