Servant Leadership and Work Engagement: The Mediating Role of Psychological Empowerment

Abstract

The aim of this research is to examine the relationships among servant leadership, work engagement, and psychological empowerment, including testing for mediation role of psychological empowerment on the relationship between servant leadership and work engagement. PROCESS v3.4 macro application running on IBM SPSS, developed by Andrew Hayes (2018), was used to test the research hypotheses. As a result of the analyses made with the data obtained from 440 public employees in Gaziantep, it was found that the relationship between servant leadership, work engagement and psychological empowerment was positive and significant. However, it was also confirmed that psychological empowerment has a partial mediating role in the relationship between servant leadership and work engagement. The limitations of this research, its theoretical and practical implications are discussed in terms of future research, together with the suggestions presented.

Keywords

• Servant Leadership
• Work Engagement
• Psychological Empowerment

Hizmetkâr Liderlik ve İşe Adanmışlık: Psikolojik Güçlendirmenin Aracılık Rolü

Abstract

Bu araştırmanın amacı, psikolojik güçlendirmenin hizmetkâr liderlik ve işe adanmışlık arasındaki ilişkide aracılık rolünün test edilmesi de dahil olmak üzere, hizmetkâr liderlik, işe adanmışlık ve psikolojik güçlendirme arasındaki ilişkileri incelenmektir. Araştırma hipotezlerini test etmek için Andrew Hayes’in (2018) geliştirmiş olduğu IBM SPSS üzerinde çalışan PROCESS v3.4 makro uygulaması kullanılmıştır. Gaziantep ilinde 440 kamu çalışanından elde edilen verilerle yapılan analizler sonucunda, hizmetkâr liderlik, işe adanmışlık ve psikolojik güçlendirme arasında pozitif yönlü anlamlı ilişkiler olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Bununla birlikte, psikolojik güçlendirmenin hizmetkâr liderlik ile işe adanmışlık arasındaki ilişkiye kısmi aracı rolü de doğrulanmıştır. Bu araştırmanın sınırlılıkları, teorik ve pratik açından katkıları, gelecekteki araştırmalar için önerilerle birlikte tartışılmaktadır.

Keywords

• Hizmetkar Liderlik
• İşe Adanmışlık
• Psikolojik Güçlendirme

References

1. Asag-Gau, L. and van Dierendonck, D. (2011), “The impact of servant leadership on organisational commitment among the highly talented: the role of challenging work conditions and psychological empowerment”, European J. International Management, 5(5), 463-482.
2. Akyüz, B. ve Eren, M. Ş. (2013), “Hizmetkâr liderlik davranışlarının eğitim sektörü üzerindeki etkisine yönelik teorik bir çalışma”, Girişimcilik ve Kalkınma Dergisi, 8(2), 191-205.
3. Bakker, A. B. (2015), “A Job Demands—Resources Approach to Public Service Motivation.” Public Administration Review, 75(5), 723–732.
4. Bakker, A.B. and Demerouti, E. (2008), “Towards a model of work engagement”, Career Development International, 13(3), 209-223.
5. Baykal, E. (2018), “Effects of Servant Leadership on Psychological Capitals and Productivities of Employees”, Atatürk Üniversitesi İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Dergisi, 34(2), 273-291.
6. Bao, Y., Li, C. and Zhao, H. (2018), “Servant leadership and engagement: a dual mediation model”, Journal of Managerial Psychology, 33(6), 406-417.
7. Breaugh, J. (2020), “Too Stressed To Be Engaged? The Role of Basic Needs Satisfaction in Understanding Work Stress and Public Sector Engagement” Public Personnel Management, 1-25.
8. Borst, R. T. (2018), “Comparing Work Engagement in People-Changing and People-Processing Service Providers: A Mediation Model With Red Tape, Autonomy”, Dimensions of PSM, and Performance. Public Pers Manage, 47(3), 287-313.

9. Bolat, T., Bolat, O. İ. ve Yüksel, M. (2016), “Hizmetkar Liderlik ve Psikolojik Güçlendirme İlişkisi: Örgüt Kültürünün Düzenleyici Etkisi”, Balıkesir Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi İİBF 10. Yıl Özel Sayı , 75-104.
10. Bagozzi, R.P. and Yi, Y. (1988), “On the evaluation of structural equation models”, JAMS 16, 74–94.
11. Büyüköztürk, Ş., Çakmak, E. K., Akgün, Ö. E., Karadeniz, Ş. ve Demirel, F. (2009). Bilimsel Araştırma Yöntemleri. Ankara, Pegem Akademi.
12. Carter, D. and Baghurst, T. (2014), “The Influence of Servant Leadership on Restaurant Employee Engagement”, J Bus Ethics 124, 453–464.
13. Canavesi, A. and Minelli, E. (2021), “Servant Leadership and Employee Engagement: A Qualitative Study”, Employ Respons Rights, 1-23.
14. Choi, S. B., Tran, T. B. H., and Park, B. I. (2015). “Inclusive leadership and work engagement: Mediating roles of affective organizational commitment and creativity”, Social Behavior and Personality: An international journal, 43(6), 931-944.
15. Chen, S-W. and Peng, J-C. (2021), “Determinants of frontline employee engagement and their influence on service performance, The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 32(5), 1062-1085.
16. Cinnioğlu, H., Saçlı, Ç. (2019), “Restoran Çalışanlarının Hizmetkâr Liderlik Algıları ile İşe Adanmışlık Düzeyleri Arasındaki İlişki”, İşletme Araştırmaları Dergisi, 11(3), 1769-1778.
17. Coetzer, M. F., Bussin, M. H. R. and Geldenhuys, M. (2017), “Servant leadership and work-related well-being in a construction company”, South African Journal of Industrial Psychology, 43(1), 1–10.
18. De Clercq, D., Bouckenooghe, D., Raja, U. and Matsyborska, G. (2014), “Servant Leadership and Work Engagement: The Contingency Effects of Leader–Follower Social Capital”, Human Resource Development Quarterly, 25(2), 183-212.
19. Decuypere, A. and Schaufeli, W. (2019) “Leadership and work engagement: Exploring explanatory mechanisms”, German Journal of Human Resource Management, 1-27.
20. de Sousa, J. C. M. and van Dierendonck, D. (2014), “Servant leadership and engagement in a merge process under high uncertainty”, Journal of Organizational Change Management, 27(6), 877-899.
21. Ehrhart, M. G. (2004), “Leadership and justice climate as antecedents of unit-level organizational citizenship behavior”, Personnel Psychology, 57, 61–94.
22. Eren, F. ve Yalçıntaş, M. (2017), “Hizmetkar Liderlik ile İş Tatmini Arasındaki İlişki: Bir Havayolu Şirketi Örneği”, UİİİD-IJEAS, (16. UİK Özel Sayısı), 851-864.
23. Eva, N., Robin, M., Sendjaya, S., van Dierendonck, D., and Liden, R. C. (2019), “Servant leadership: A systematic review and call for future research”, Leadership Quarterly, 30(1), 111–132.
24. Frazier, P. A., Tix, A. P. and Baron, K. E. (2004), “Testing moderator and mediator effects in counseling psychology research”, Journal of Counseling Psychology, 51(1), 115–34.
25. Ghalavi, Z. and Nastıezaıe, N. (2020), “Relationship of Servant Leadership and Organizational Citizenship Behavior with Mediation of Psychological Empowerment”, Eurasian Journal of Educational Research, 20(89), 241-264.
26. Greenleaf, R. K. (1977), Servant Leadership: A Journey into the Nature of Legitimate Power and Greatness, Paulist Press, Mahwah, NJ.
27. Gürbüz, S. ve Şahin, F. (2016), Sosyal Bilimlerde Araştırma Yöntemleri, 3. Baskı, Seçkin Yayıncılık, Ankara. Hayes, A. F. (2009), “Beyond Baron and Kenny: Statistical Mediation Analysis in the New Millennium”, Communication Monographs, 76(4): 408-420.
28. Hu, J., and Liden, R. C. (2011), “Antecedents of team potency and team effectiveness: An examination of goal and process clarity and servant leadership”, Journal of Applied Psychology, 96(4), 851–862.
29. Jose, G. and Mampilly, S.R. (2015), “Relationships Among Perceived Supervisor Support, Psychological Empowerment and Employee Engagement in Indian Workplaces”, Journal of Workplace Behavioral Health, 30(3), 231-250.
30. Kaya, B. and Karatepe, O.M. (2020), “Does servant leadership better explain work engagement, career satisfaction and adaptive performance than authentic leadership?”, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 32(6), 2075-2095.
31. Kahn, W. A. (1990), “Psychological conditions of personal engagement and disengagement at work”, Academy of Management Journal, 33(4), 692–724.
32. Kır, S. ve Karabulut, T. (2021), “Hizmetkâr Liderlik Tarzının İşe Adanmışlık Üzerindeki Etkisinde Algılanan Örgütsel Adaletin Aracı Rolü”, Ekonomik ve Sosyal Araştırmalar Dergisi 17, 359-387.
33. Kılıç, K. C. ve Aydın, Y. (2016), “Hizmetkâr Liderlik Ölçeğinin Türkçe Uyarlaması: Güvenirlik ve Geçerlik Çalışması”, KMÜ Sosyal ve Ekonomik Araştırmalar Dergisi 18 (30): 106-113.
34. Liden, R. C., Wayne, S. J. and Sparrowe, R. T. (2000), “An examination of the mediating role of psychological empowerment on the relations between the job, interpersonal relationships”, and work outcomes. Journal of Applied Psychology, 85(3), 407–416.
35. Liden, R. C., Wayne, S. J., Zhao, H., and Henderson, D. (2008), “Servant leadership: Development of a multidimensional measure and multi-level assessment”, Leadership Quarterly, 19(2), 161–177.
36. Liden, R. C., Wayne, S. J., Liao, C. and Meuser, J. D. (2014), “Servant leadership and serving culture: Influence on individual and unit performance”, Academy of Management Journal, 57, 1434–1452.
37. Liden, R. C., Sandy J. W., D.Meuser, J., Hu, J., Wu, J. and Liao, C. (2015), “Servant Leadership: Validation of A Short Form of The SL-28”, Leadership Quarterly, 26 (2): 254-269.
38. Liu, H. (2019), “Just the Servant: An Intersectional Critique of Servant Leadership”, J Bus Ethics 156, 1099–1112.
39. Luu, T. T. (2019), “Service-oriented high-performance work systems and service-oriented behaviours in public organizations: the mediating role of work engagement, Public Management Review, 21(6), 789-816.
40. Meng, Q. and Sun, F. (2019), “The Impact of Psychological Empowerment On Work Engagement Among University Faculty Members In China”, Psychol Res Behav Manag, 18(12), 983-990.
41. Meyerson, S. L. and Kline, T.J.B. (2008),”Psychological and environmental empowerment: antecedents and consequences”, Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 29(5), 444-460.
42. Meydan, C. H. ve Şeşen, H. (2011), Yapısal eşitlik modellemesi AMOS uygulamaları, Detay Yayıncılık, Ankara.
43. Muller, R.J., Smith, E.E. and Lillah, R. (2019), “Perceptions regarding the impact of Ubuntu and servant leadership on employee engagement in the workplace”, Journal of Contemporary Management, 16, 1-32. https://hdl.handle.net/10520/EJC-1444e0d2d1
44. Miao, Q., Newman, A., Schwarz, G., and Xu, L. (2014), “Servant leadership, trust, and the organizational commitment of public sector employees in china”, Public Administration, 92(3), 727-743.
45. Mishra, A. K. and Spreitzer, G. M. (1998), “Explaining How Survivors Respond to Downsizing: The Roles of Trust, Empowerment”, Justice, and Work Redesign. The Academy of Management Review, 23(3), 567–588.
46. Moura, D. (2015), “Psychological Empowerment and Work Engagement as predictors of Work Satisfaction: A sample of Hotel Employees”, Journal of Spatial and Organizational Dynamics, 3(2), 125-134.
47. Neubert, M. J., Kacmar, K. M., Carlson, D. S., Chonko, L. B., and Roberts, J. A. (2008), “Regulatory focus as a mediator of the influence of initiating structure and servant leadership on employee behavior”, Journal of Applied Psychology, 93(6), 1220–1233.
48. Newman, A., Schwarz, G., Cooper, B. and Sendjaya, S. (2017), “How Servant Leadership Influences Organizational Citizenship Behavior: The Roles of LMX, Empowerment, and Proactive Personality”, J Bus Ethics 145, 49–62.
49. Noesgaard, M. S. and Hansen, J. R. (2018), “Work Engagement in the Public Service Context: The Dual Perceptions of Job Characteristics”, International Journal of Public Administration, 41(13), 1047-1060.
50. Peterson, S. J., Galvin, B. M., and Lange, D. (2012), “Ceo servant leadership: Exploring executive characteristics and firm performance”, Personnel Psychology, 65(3), 565–596.
51. Preacher, K. J., and Hayes, A. F. (2004), “SPSS and SAS Procedures for Estimating Indirect Effect in Simple Mediation Models, Behavior Research Methods”, Instruments, & Computers, 36(4): 717-731.
52. Preacher, K. J., and Kelley, K. (2011). “Effect size measures for mediation models: Quantitative strategies for communicating ındirect effects”. Psychological Methods, 16(2), 93-115.
53. Preacher, Kristopher J., and Andrew F. (2008), “Asymptotic and Resampling Strategies for Assessing and Comparing Indirect Effects in Multiple Mediator Models”, Behavior Research Methods, 40(3): 879-891.
54. Rabiul, Md. K., Patwary, A. K. and Panha, IM. (2021), “The role of servant leadership, self-efficacy, high performance work systems, and work engagement in increasing service-oriented behavior”, Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management, 1-24.
55. Russell R. F. and Stone, G. (2002), “A review of servant leadership attributes: developing a practical model”, Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 23(3), 145-157.
56. Salanova, M. and Schaufeli, W. B. (2008), “A cross-national study of work engagement as a mediator between job resources and proactive behaviour, The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 19(1), 116-131.
57. Sendjaya, S. and Cooper, B. (2011), “Servant Leadership Behaviour Scale: A hierarchical model and test of construct validity, European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 20(3), 416-436.
58. Seibert, S. E., Wang, G. and Courtright, S. H. (2011), “Antecedents and consequences of psychological and team empowerment in organizations: A meta-analytic review”, Journal of Applied Psychology, 96(5), 981–1003.
59. Schwarz, G., Newman, A., Cooper, B. and Eva, N. (2016), “Servant Leadership and Follower Job Performance: The Medıating Effect of Public Service Motivation”, Public Administration, 94(4), 1025-1041.
60. Schaufeli, W. B., Salanova, M., Gonzalez-Roma, V. and Bakker, A.B. (2002). The measurement of engagement and burnout: A two sample confirmatory factor analytic approach. Journal of Happiness Studies, 3, 71–92. Retrieved 24 March 2022 from http://www.wilmarschaufeli.nl/publications/Schaufeli/178.pdf
61. Schaufeli, W. B. and Bakker, A. B. (2004), “Job demands, job resources, and their relationship with burnout and engagement: a multi-sample study”, Journal of Organizational Behavior, 25, 293–315.
62. Shuck B. and Wollard, K. (2010), “Employee Engagement and HRD: A Seminal Review of the Foundations”. Human Resource Development Review, 9(1), 89-110.
63. Shim, D. C., Park, H. H., Keum, J. and Kim, S. (2020), “Street-Level Bureaucrats’ Work Engagement: Can Public Managers’ Servant-Leader Orientation Make a Difference?” Public Personnel Management, 1-20.
64. Slack, N. J., Singh, G., Narayan, J. and Sharma, S. (2019), “Servant Leadership in the Public Sector: Employee Perspective”, Public Organiz Rev, 1-16.
65. Spreitzer, G.M. (1995), “Psychological Empowerment in the Workplace: Dimensions”, Measurement, and Validation. Academy of Management Journal, 38(5), 1442-1465.
66. Singh, R. (2016), “Exploring the drivers of employee engagement: A literature review”, International Journal of Education & Management Studies, 6(1), 105-109.
67. Stander, M.W. and Rothmann, S. (2010), “Psychological empowerment, job insecurity and employee engagement”, SA Journal of Industrial Psychology/SA Tydskrif vir Bedryfsielkunde, 36(1), 1-9.
68. Stankevičiūtė, Z. and Savanevičienė, A. (2021), “Linkage between Leaders’ Behaviour in Performance Management, Organisational Justice and Work Engagement in Public Sector”, Economies, 9(15), 1-24.
69. Sousa, M. and van Dierendonck, D. (2017), “Servant Leadership and the Effect of the Interaction Between Humility”, Action, and Hierarchical Power on Follower Engagement. J Bus Ethics 141, 13–25.
70. Sürgevil, O., Tolay, E. ve Topoyan, M. (2013), ‘‘Yapısal Güçlendirme ve Psikolojik Güçlendirme Ölçeklerinin Geçerlilik ve Güvenilirlik Analizleri’’, Journal Of Yasar University, 8(31): 5371-5391.
71. Tabachnick, B. G. and Fidell, L. S. (2013), Using Multivariate Statistics (sixth ed.) Pearson, Boston.
72. Taştan, S. B. (2014), “Örgüt İklimi ile Örgütsel Adanmışlık Arasındaki İlişkide Psikolojik Güçlendirme Algısının Ara Değişken Olarak İncelenmesi ve Psikososyal Kaynakların Rolü: Kamu Kesim Çalışanları Üzerine Bir Araştırma”, Organizasyon ve Yönetim Bilimleri Dergisi, 6(1), 91-106.
73. Thelen, P. D. and Yue, C. A. (2021), “Servant Leadership and Employee Advocacy: The Mediating Role of Psychological Empowerment and Perceived Relationship Investment”, International Journal of Communication 15, 3802-3826.
74. Thu, N. A. and Anh, D, H. (2017), “Impacts of Servant Leadership Style on Organizational Engagement of Employees. Implications for Research on Leadership and Employee Engagement”. VNU Journal Of Science: Policy And Management Studies, 33(3), 58-71.
75. Tripathi, D., Priyadarshi, P., Kumar, P. and Kumar, S. (2021), “Does servant leadership affect work role performance via knowledge sharing and psychological empowerment?”, VINE Journal of Information and Knowledge Management Systems, 51(5), 792-812.
76. Turgut, T. (2011). “Çalışmaya Tutkunluk: İş Yükü, Esnek Çalışma Saatleri, Yönetici Desteği ve İş-Aile Çatışması İle İlişkileri”, Atatürk Üniversitesi İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Dergisi, 25(3-4), 155-179.
77. Qing, M., Asif, M., Hussain, A. and Jameel, A. (2020), “Exploring the impact of ethical leadership on job satisfaction and organizational commitment in public sector organizations: the mediating role of psychological empowerment”. Rev Manag Sci 14, 1405–1432.
78. Ural, A. ve Kılıç, İ. (2013), Bilimsel Araştırma Süreci ve SPSS ile Veri Analizi. Ankara: Detay Yayıncılık van Dierendonck, D. (2011), “Servant Leadership: A Review and Synthesis”, Journal of Management, 37(4), 1228-1261.
79. van Dierendonck, D., Stam, D., Boersma, P., de Windt, N. and Alkema, J. (2014), “Same difference? Exploring the differential mechanisms linking servant leadership and transformational leadership to follower outcomes”, The Leadership Quarterly 25, 544–562.
80. van Dierendonck, D. and Nuijten, I. (2011). “The Servant Leadership Survey: Development and Validation of a Multidimensional Measure”, Journal of business and psychology, 26(3), 249–267.
81. Vigoda-Gadot, E., Eldor, L. and Schohat, L. M. (2013), “Engage them to public service: Conceptualization and empirical examination of employee engagement in public administration”, The American Review of Public Administration, 43(5), 518–538.
82. Walumbwa, F. O., Hartnell, C. A. and Oke, A. (2010) “Servant leadership, procedural justice climate, service climate, employee attitudes, and organizational citizenship behavior: A cross-level investigation”, Journal of Applied Psychology, 95, 517–529.
83. Yang, J., Gu, J. and Liu, H. (2019), “Servant leadership and employee creativity: The roles of psychological empowerment and work–family conflict”, Curr Psychol 38, 1417–1427.
84. Zeeshan, S., Ng, S.I., Ho, J.A. and Jantan, A.H. (2021), “Assessing the impact of servant leadership on employee engagement through the mediating role of self-efficacy in the Pakistani banking sector”, Cogent Business & Management, 8(1), 1-20.
85. Zhang, X. and Bartol, K. M. (2010), “Linking Empowering Leadership and Employee Creativity: The Influence of Psychological Empowerment, Intrinsic Motivation, and Creative Process Engagement”, The Academy of Management Journal, 53(1), 107–128.
86. Zorlu, Ö., Avan, A., Baytok. A. (2019), “The Effect of Servant Leadership on Psychological Empowerment and Organizational Identification”, Journal of Business Research-Turk, 11(1), 293-309.