PhD Thesis | Servant-Leadership: Paradox or Diamond in the Rough?

In 2005, Inge Nuijten began her doctoral research with the central question: is servant-leadership a paradox or a diamond in the rough? After four years of research, the conclusion is that servant-leadership is not a paradox, but rather a diamond in the rough.


Summary

This dissertation bridges the gap between conceptual thinking about servant-leadership and quantitative leadership research. The aim was to determine whether servant-leadership is a ‘paradox or a diamond in the rough’. This was explored by defining servant-leadership, making it measurable, and examining the effects of servant-leadership on trust, well-being, and performance.

The literature review firstly clarifies that servant-leadership is ethical and unlike other forms of leadership because the interests of the people the leader has influence over come first. Furthermore, studies in the dissertation demonstrate that servant-leadership behavior can be nicely described based on eight characteristics: authenticity, humility, stewardship, accountability, empowerment, forgiveness, appreciation, and courage.

These behavioral aspects can be measured using the multidimensional measuring instrument from this dissertation, the Servant-Leadership Scan (SLS). Using this questionnaire, it was investigated whether serving and leading can go together and have a positive impact. Positive effects generally associated with servant leadership include trust and organizational success.

 

 

Furthermore, conceptual thinking in the field of servant-leadership suggests that people who are led in a serving manner feel healthier, wiser, freer, and more autonomous, and there is a greater chance that they will also lead in a serving manner. The research in this dissertation indeed shows that servant-leadership is positively associated with well-being, team performance, and trust.

Two studies demonstrate a positive relationship between servant-leadership and the three key psychological basic needs: autonomy, relatedness, and competence. Another study illustrates how servant-leadership (particularly appreciation, empowerment, and humility) is positively related to team performance (measured over time and overall).

A final study shows that most behavioral aspects of servant-leadership are positively related to trust. However, this last study also reveals that employees’ organization-based self-esteem (OBSE) influences the relationship between servant-leadership aspects and trust in various ways.

In short, the dissertation provides a multidimensional measuring instrument for servant-leadership and demonstrates that servant-leadership is valuable because it can positively influence the well-being, performance, and trust of employees. Based on the literature and empirical studies, we can conclude that servant-leadership is more a diamond in the rough than a paradox.

 

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