The relationship between servant leadership and employee engagement: The mediating roles of trust and fit

While servant leadership has become a widely adopted leadership style throughout the marketplace, there is limited empirical evidence to support the true organizational relationship between servant leader factors and outcomes. The purpose of this research was to study the significance of the relationship between servant leadership factors and employee engagement via the mediating factors of trust and fit within a Fortune 500 organization. Servant leader factors such as altruistic calling, emotional healing, wisdom, persuasive mapping, and organizational stewardship were hypothesized to have a positive impact on employee engagement as a state of vigor, dedication, and absorption. I proposed that those leaders who were perceived to be practicing servant leadership in the workplace have a more significant relationship to cultivate trust and advance fit perceptions which in turn drive the state of employee engagement. Over the course of a two-week period, employees from four geographic locations throughout the United States were asked to first assess their leader’s effective use of servant leadership factors and in a subsequent online survey, asked to assess their own engagement, their perceived fit, and overall trust. A total of 233 participants completed the servant leadership assessment and follow-up fit, trust, and engagement assessment. A correlation analysis was conducted where the results showed significant relationships. Servant leadership factors found supportive relationships in driving overall trust, enhancing perceived fit, and ultimately improving employee engagement as a state of being. Therefore, organizations and leaders should adopt and train servant leadership factors to build trust, augment fit perceptions, and improve overall employee engagement.

Grantor dc:publisher

Creighton University

Year dc:date.issued

2014

Author dc:creator

• Klein, Nathan Daniel

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Darnold, Todd C.

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright is retained by the Author. A non-exclusive distribution right is granted to Creighton University and to ProQuest following the publishing model selected above.

Language dc:language.iso

en_US

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/10504/62706

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:cdr.creighton.edu:10504/62706