The Influence of Servant Leadership on Internal Career Success: An Examination of Psychological Climates and Career Progression Expectations

Abstract

Servant leadership's positive effects on employee attitudes and motivations are well-documented. However, it remains unclear how and whether the employee beneficiaries of servant leadership choose to remain and thrive with their current employer. Would employees remain with employers and advance within their organizations after exposure to servant leadership, or is it possible that the advantages gained make them more inclined to explore better opportunities elsewhere? We examine this question from a social learning perspective by investigating the process through which an employee's experience of servant leadership behaviors influences their voluntary turnover and promotion attainment. We propose a serially mediated model in which an employee's perception of servant leadership increases promotion attainment while reducing voluntary turnover via perceptions of two psychological climates (caring and instrumental) and subsequent changes in employee career progression expectations. These predictions were tested in a 4-wave field study in which objective measures of turnover and employee promotions were tracked throughout a 12-month period. The results reveal support for the hypothesized serial mediation model. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of this research and outline directions for future research.

Trust in the Leader, Organizational Commitment, and Nurses’ Intention to Leave—Insights from a Nationwide Study Using Structural Equation Modeling

“…Managers play a dual role in workplaces as both leaders and supporters of their teams, as well as representatives of the organization [ 52 ]. Consequently, a leader’s actions and personal and professional qualities directly influence the commitment and the trust of employees in the workplace but also result in an indirect effect on employees’ organizational trust and commitment.…”