The servant leadership and how it stimulates employee service performance in public sectors

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between servant leadership and employee service performance in public sectors and its internal mechanism. To be specific, the first step was to explore whether servant leadership can predict employee service performance. The second step is to explore the mediating mechanism by which servant leadership influences employee service performance.

Based on social learning theory and relevant literature, this study developed the main effect model of servant leadership positively affecting employee service performance. Based on the AMO (Ability, Motivation and Opportunity) theory and relevant literature, this research developed the mediating effect models in which servant leadership influenced employee service performance through public service self-efficacy, public service motivation and organizational service climate.

This study investigated the public sector employees in Beibei district, Chongqing, China, and obtained 416 valid samples. This study employed descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, main effect test, independent model mediating effect test and integrated model test on sample data in SPSS22 and AMOS22 to obtain a series of important conclusions.

Five conductions were drawn as follows. Firstly, servant leadership positively affects employee service performance. Secondly, servant leadership positively influences employee public service self-efficacy, and employee public service self-efficacy positively influences employee service performance. Employee public service self-efficacy mediates the positive influence of servant leadership on employee service performance. Thirdly, servant leadership positively influences employee public service motivation, and employee public service motivation positively influences employee service performance. Employee public service motivation mediates the positive influence of servant leadership on employee service performance. Fourthly, servant leadership positively influences organizational service climate, and organizational service climate positively influences employee service performance. Organizational service climate mediates the positive influence of servant leadership on employee service performance. Finally, public service self-efficacy, public service motivation and organizational service climate together completely mediate the positive influence of servant leadership on employee service performance.

In terms of theoretical contribution, this research enriches the literature of servant leadership and deepens the AMO theory. In terms of management implications, this study suggests that public sectors choose, use, cultivate and retain servant leaders, improve employee public service self-efficacy, arouse employee public service motivation, and shape organizational service climate. It will greatly improve the employee service performance in the public sector and promote the construction of service-oriented government that the people are satisfied with.