All you need is love: the relationship between agape and work outcomes

PurposeThe purpose of this paper was to lay the necessary conceptual and empirical groundwork of agape in organizations. Specifically, the authors reviewed literature on agape;advanced formal definition of agape;explained the relationship of agape with related variables;developed a scale to measure agape and provided evidence of its reliability and construct validity;showed how agape uniquely predicted employee outcomes beyond transformational leadership;and showed how agape compensated for the lack of transformational leadership.Design/methodology/approachThe authors conducted a survey with 214 working executives who rated their manager on transformational leadership and agape behaviours, and later indicated their own work attitudes. Next, the authors conducted a 20-min between-subjects vignette experiment with 147 business management students who were provided with a description of a supervisor and asked to indicate their work attitudes under the supervisor.FindingsThe authors advanced an operational definition and a scale to measure agape. The findings of this study indicated that agape was a unidimensional construct with high reliability. It had significant positive relationships with followers' job satisfaction, faith and loyalty, team commitment, satisfaction and risk-taking;explained incremental variance in employee outcomes beyond transformational leadership;and compensated for the lack of transformational leadership.Research limitations/implicationsThe present research has the potential to inform recruitment, selection, training, promotion and performance evaluation decisions in organizations.Originality/valueThe authors responded to calls for developing a clear and consistent conceptualization and operationalization of agape for improving scholarly research and leadership training and development.

Nurturing Employee Engagement at Workplace and Organizational Innovation in Time of Crisis With Moderating Effect of Servant Leadership

The current study strives to examine the impact of HR practices, working condition, intergroup relations, goal congruence, passion for work and organizational learning culture toward employee engagement and organizational innovation. In addition to that the moderating effect of servant leadership is tested between employee engagement and organizational innovation. The research design of this study is grounded in quantitative research approach. Data were retrieved from employees working in Saudi manufacturing organizations. Overall, 241 respondents have participated in this voluntarily research survey. Research framework was tested with structural equation modeling technique. Results revealed that human resource prac-tices, working condition, intergroup relations, passion for work, goal congruence and organizational learning culture have explained large variance R-2 52.8% in measuring employee work engagement. Similarly, organizational innovation is measured with employee work engagement and servant leadership and explained substantial 55% variance in organizational innovation. Likewise, the results of the blindfolding analysis revealed substantial predictive power Q(2) 41.4 to predict organizational inno-vation. Therefore, in determining employee work engagement at workplace goal congruence has shown substantial effect size f(2) when compared with other exogenous constructs. Practically, this research suggests that goal congruence, human resource practices, and servant leadership are core factors which enhance employee engagement at workplace and organiza-tional innovation in time of crisis and therefore need managerial attention. This study is unique as it examines employee engagement behavior with an integrative research framework. In addition to that the role of servant leadership has been studied as moderator between the relationship of employee engagement and organizational innovation.

Crisis-induced HR practices and employee resilience during COVID-19: evidence from hotels

One of the wretch effects of the COVID-19 pandemic was the laying off of millions of employees in the hotel industry due to travel restrictions and lockdowns. Such a scenario prompted star hotels to implement crisis-induced HR practices (CHRP) to run their hotels effectively. Our article exploits and investigates a model that recommends that psychological well-being (PWB) indirectly influences the CHRP-employee resilience (ER) relationship, the conditional indirect effect of servant leadership (SEL). Data were collected from 265 star-rated hotel employees in Accra and Kumasi, Ghana, who are the full-time frontline. The hypothesized linkages were assessed through PROCESS analysis. We find a significant indirect effect of CHRP on ER via PWB. Moreover, the conditional indirect effect of CHRP on ER via PWB is high at higher and mediums levels of SEL. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed further.

Ishq-the Sufi Way of leadership

This paper studies three types of leadership theories - value-based leadership, indigenous leadership, and leadership theories with traces of mysticism. The author shows how Sufism can be viewed as a framework of leadership (Spiller and Watson, 2021) that holds a sustained relevance in enduring turbulent times. The paper is timely because of increased interest in positive leadership, values-based leadership and culturally rooted leadership. This paper extends leadership literature in multiple ways. First, it brings to light the relevance of a mystic critique of Sufism built on love in the contemporary situation and is the first work to present Sufism as a different way of leadership. Second, it synchronises with the rising voice of scholars who suggest that leadership studies, devoid of context, are incomplete and that non-western models of leadership must emerge (Sudhakar, 2021;Mango, 2018). Third, it addresses the concern of scholars who have been imploring for taking leadership beyond the realms of logic and including more elements of mysticism (van Lingen, 2019). Finally, future possible research directions are discussed.

Can Role-Based Public Leadership Promote Subordinate Taking Charge? The Role of Political Skills and Public Service Motivation

This paper focused on role-based public leadership's impact and internal mechanism on subordinate taking charge behavior (TCB). The explanatory model of rationality and value dual paths was proposed and verified through hierarchical regression and bootstrap tests, with the data from a questionnaire survey to the Bureau of Commerce. The main conclusions are as follows: (1) Public service motivation is a mediating variable between public leadership and TCB;(2) political skills have a double-edged sword effect. Political skills positively moderate the impact of public leadership on TCB. Meanwhile, it negatively moderates the effects of public leadership on public service motivation and the effects of public service motivation on TCB;(3) under the high political skill level of subordinates, public leadership has a direct impact on the TCB, while under the low political skill level of subordinates, the direct effect of public leadership on the TCB is insignificant.

How Does Servant Leadership Nurture Nurses' Job Embeddedness? Uncovering Sequential Mediation of Psychological Contract Fulfillment and Psychological Ownership

Aim. This research aimed to explore how servant leadership nurtures nurses' job embeddedness by uncovering the sequential mediation of psychological contract fulfillment and psychological ownership. Background. The healthcare of Pakistan is undergoing an acute shortage of 1.3 million nurses. The gap is widening due to unprecedented natural uncertainties (floods, earthquakes, COVID-19, dengue, polio, and monkeypox) and the large-scale brain drain of nurses. Therefore, exploring the underlying factors that could facilitate nurses' job embeddedness is imperative. Methods. A cross-sectional research design was employed, wherein data were gathered in three rounds, two months apart, from 587 nurses employed in public hospitals in Pakistan, and analysis was performed with Smart-PLS. Results. Servant leadership positively influences nurses' job embeddedness and psychological contract fulfillment. Besides, psychological contract fulfillment positively affects psychological ownership, and psychological ownership enhances nurses' job embeddedness. Finally, psychological contract fulfillment and psychological ownership sequentially mediate the relationship between servant leadership and job embeddedness. Conclusions. This research emphasized the vitality of servant leadership in nurturing nurses' job embeddedness. Implications for Nursing Management. Healthcare authorities should keenly focus on promoting servant leadership that shapes the positive perception of nurses about their psychological contract fulfillment and psychological ownership, which are essential resources to cherish nurses' job embeddedness.

Non-profit effectiveness: A multiple case study on effective non-profit leadership approaches

There is limited research on effective leadership approaches in 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations. Non-profit organizations help to build community sustainability. The problem to be addressed by the study is the difficulty of identifying the appropriate leadership approach to use in 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations that enhance community sustainability. This qualitative multiple case study aimed to explore the leadership approaches 501(c)(3) non-profit organization decision makers in North Carolina use and why they perceive these approaches to be effective in enhancing the community sustainability of the communities they serve. The aspect of community sustainability focused on was social well-being. Participants were decision makers in a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in North Carolina;were two executive directors, a president, and a program director, from different 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations;and had experience planning programs and events for the community. The sample size for this study was four. Semi-structured interviews, participant observations, and a leadership checklist were used to collect data. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Five themes answered the research question: (a) focused approach, (b) additional approaches, (c) decision making, (d) employee growth, and (e) impact. The findings from this study may help 501(c)(3) non-profit organization leaders understand which leadership approaches may effectively enhance the social well-being of the communities they serve. A limitation of this study is the small sample size due to COVID-19. Another limitation is not being able to talk to all 501(c)(3) non-profit organization decision makers. Future researchers can improve this study by conducting sustained interviews and multiple participant observations in person with each participant. Future researchers should also interview other employees, volunteers, and constituents in the organization. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

What's trust got to do with it? Examining trust in leadership, psychological capital, and employee well-being in a cross-national context during Covid-19

We propose and test the idea that trust in the senior leadership team is needed to help overcome the potential widespread decrements to employee well-being resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic. Drawing on conservation of resources theory, we suggest that psychological capital mediates the relationship between trust in the senior leadership team's response to Covid-19 and employee well-being. We also examine the contextual relevance of line management's servant leadership alongside country differences (i.e., India vs. UK) in reinforcing the importance of trust in fostering psychological capital. We test our model in a time-lagged survey study that follows employed individuals towards the early, middle, and later stages of the first wave of the pandemic in 2020. Results provide support for our model and indicate potential country differences. Our findings point to the significance of leadership, both at the senior level and at the line management level, in protecting employee well-being during crises. © 2023 The Authors. European Management Review published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of European Academy of Management (EURAM).

Millennial leadership in the retail industry

The retail industry contributes to the United States economy, and high turnover rates reduce the profitability of businesses, which affects their sustainability. The general problem is millennials employed in retail are not finding adequate leadership support and alignment with their career expectations or social beliefs. This qualitative single case study involved an embedded group of millennials employed as retail managers with at least three years of supervisory experience. The purpose of this study was to explore experiences and expectations involving effective leadership. The study involved using the generational theory, cognitive model of behavior, and servant leadership theory to address how perceptions of leadership are influenced by generational differences and leader behavior. Data collection from 8 semi-structured interviews was affected by the shared societal event of the COVID pandemic. Thematic analysis revealed transitional data from a follower's perspective to a leader's perspective and an emerging millennial leadership style. Millennials' skills and behaviors have evolved from life experiences and they can relate to other generations because of a need to know everything with a fearlessness to ask why. Future research of retail leadership will provide guidance to managers in the retail industry as they determine the style of leadership that fits their environment, culture, and employee needs. Reducing the voluntary turnover rate by putting people before profit in the retail industry will decrease the ripple effect that business closures have on local, state, and federal government sustainability. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Hybrid learning: A qualitative case study of a school reopening during the COVID-19 pandemic

In August 2020, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced that all schools would be on distance learning if their county COVID-19 cases were too high. However, one district, Lucerne Valley Unified, wanted to get their elementary students back to in-person instruction and not experience a considerable amount of learning loss. So, the district worked alongside county health officials and applied for a waiver to get all of their TK-6th grade students back, first focusing on students in special education, English language learners, and those deemed at-risk of failing. This case study focuses on Ridgemont School's journey to provide hybrid instruction and how they met the needs of at-risk students from special populations. The case study analyzes the interviews of ten employees at the school and 25 parents whose children participated in the hybrid learning model for the 2020-2021 school year. It also shares the personal account of the researcher who is a participant observer sharing my thoughts and feelings during those events. Children's data from the interviewed parents were also included to demonstrate the program's success. This case study revealed that schools could reopen safely under crisis if appropriate strategies are applied, motivations fuel the mission of an organization, and hybrid learning is impactful for student progress. Since there is limited research on hybrid learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, the study provides a written account of how individuals worked through the crisis and their motivations. These accounts were analyzed to answer the four research questions. The case study answered the following questions: What was the reopening process? How did this process develop? What motivated stakeholders to reopen? What setbacks and challenges did the school encounter while reopening, and how did the stakeholders cope with those challenges? How did the school meet the needs of groups like Specialized Academic Instruction (SAI) and English Learners (EL) in this hybrid learning model? The study shared that the reopening process involved many stakeholders and required schools to meet the safety regulations mandated by the local health department. Results shared that stakeholders' motivations focused on having students return for quality instruction and social-emotional learning. Participants also shared that factors like fear/anxiety, mandates, socialization, and the internet contributed to many issues during the reopening process. The case study also reveals the school's services to particular subgroups to have them return for additional days. These feelings and accounts are reported in the research and highlight the themes that emerge from the interviews and various documents. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Exploring virtual leadership: Christian organizational leaders adapting to the disruptive change of COVID-19

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive multiple case study was to explore Christian organizational leaders' experiences in sustaining membership engagement and leadership sustainability when using advanced technology during the social and organizational disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic. Servant leadership theory, virtual leadership theory, and crisis management theory provided the conceptual framework for this study. The research questions addressed how Christian organizational leaders sustained membership engagement and led their church organizations during the disruptive change of COVID-19. A combination of 10 semi-structured interviews, document review, and member checking was used for data collection. The results from the data indicated critical interventions for sustaining membership engagement: fostering and facilitating meaningful interactions virtually, adopting advanced technology based on the receptivity of members, selecting advanced technology based on perceived messaging, and offering hybrid services to mitigate low virtual attendance. The findings also indicated that Christian organizational leaders led by constructing success parameters that were the substratum for decision-making, emphasizing internal operational efficiency and effectiveness, and limiting the number of interventions made during the crisis because of leadership exhaustion. This study provided insight that could help church organizational leaders increase attendance to a multi-generational audience, expand membership engagement through in-person and technology, and be an effective source of tangible comfort and spiritual relief in their community. Which are all measurements for evaluating effective Christian churches. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

How Servant Leadership Influence Employee Service Quality of Fitness Centers During COVID-19: The Interacting Effects of Self-Efficacy.

Purpose: Drawing on conservation of resource theory, social cognitive theory and person-environment fit theory, this study aims to investigate the impact of servant leadership and self-efficacy on service quality in fitness centers. Patients and Methods: Cross-sectional data came from 771 employees of fitness center. All participants completed the perceived servant leadership scale, self-efficacy scale and service quality scale. The polynomial regression and response surface analysis techniques were used to investigate the mediating influence and boundary conditions of self-efficacy. Results: Self-efficacy acts as a mediator between servant leadership and employee service quality, with servant leadership having a positive, substantial impact on both. Meanwhile, regarding the relationship, the level of service quality is inversely correlated with the degree to which servant leadership and employee self-efficacy are aligned. The smaller the degree of alignment, the lower the level of employee service quality. Conclusion: The findings of this study can help fitness centre practitioners better improve the service quality of employees through service-oriented servant leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic, thereby contributing to the development of the sports and service industries.

The interplay between servant leadership, psychological safety, trust in a leader and burnout: assessing causal relationships through a three-wave longitudinal study.

COVID-19 pandemic has brought unprecedented psychological challenges for frontline healthcare workers, especially nurses, causing anxiety and depression leading to burnout. The responsibility of healthcare leaders has increased manyfold to deal with such challenges. This study attempts to employ the conservation of resources theory to examine the relationship between servant leadership and nurses' burnout, with the mediating role of psychological safety and the moderating effect of trust in leader. A three-wave longitudinal design was employed for data collection from 1204 nurses from 27 hospitals in China. The partial least squares structural equation modeling technique was used for data analyses with SmartPLS version 3.2.8. The findings endorse that servant leadership at time 1 significantly reduces nurses' burnout measured at time 3 through the mediating role of psychological safety measured at time 2, and that a higher level of trust in the leader enhances the impact of servant leadership in reducing nurses' burnout.

The effect of job insecurity on knowledge hiding behavior: The mediation of psychological safety and the moderation of servant leadership.

As the global economy deteriorates because of the great shocks such as COVID-19 pandemic and wars among nations, the business environment is suffered from uncertainty and risk. To deal with it, several firms have attempted to maximize its efficiency via downsizing and restructuring to diminish costs. Thus, the degree of anxiety is increased among employees who worry about the loss of their job. The current research hypothesizes that job insecurity increases employees' knowledge hiding behavior by diminishing the degree of their psychological safety. In other words, psychological safety functions as the underlying process (i.e., mediator) in the job insecurity-knowledge hiding behavior link. Furthermore, this paper tries to examine the boundary condition of how to decrease the detrimental influence of job insecurity, focusing on the moderating effect of servant leadership. Utilizing a 3-wave time-lagged data from 365 Korean employees, we empirically demonstrated that employees who perceive job insecurity are less likely to perceive psychological safety, eventually increasing their knowledge hiding behavior. We also found that servant leadership functions as a positive moderator which buffers the negative impact of job insecurity on psychological safety. Theoretical and practical contributions are described.

Restaurants under COVID-19 knife

Purpose: Drawing upon conservation of resources (COR) theory and social exchange theory (SET), this study aims to empirically test a conceptual model in which social loafing (SLof) acts as a mediator in the relationship between fear of COVID-19 (FoC-19) and organizational deviant behaviors (OD). Additionally, the model proposed the moderating effect of servant leadership (SL) in the relation between FoC-19 and SLof. Design/methodology/approach: The relationships were examined using structural equation modeling with LISREL (linear structural relations) 8.30 using data from front-line restaurant employees and their supervisors in India using a time-lag design. Findings: Results suggest that SLof mediates the effects of FoC-19 on OD. Additionally, the results confirm that SL moderates the relation between FoC-19 and SLof. Research limitations/implications: It would be beneficial to increase the knowledge concerning the other potential outcomes of SLof. Moreover, it would be helpful to examine other probable moderators like trust in supervisor and supervisor support to understand whether they can have an interfering role in mitigating and minimizing SLof among restaurant employees. Practical implications: Based on the findings, restaurant managers should pay sufficient attention to and carefully choose the leadership approach they apply in their workplaces. Restaurant managers would try to establish a bond with their employees by showing them empathy and paying attention to their emotional needs. The authors also suggest leaders who are leading people through crises make their employees understand why their job is important, rejuvenate their sense of attachment to their groups and organizations, and set clear directions for their employees. Originality/value: The current study adds to the existing literature by investigating the effects of FoC-19 on front-line employees using data collected in the Indian restaurant industry. This empirical study will enrich the authors' knowledge and understanding of the effect of SL to reduce the positive impact of FoC-19 on SLof. © 2023, Emerald Publishing Limited.

Personal growth or servant leader: What do hotel employees need most to be affectively well amidst the turbulent COVID-19 times?

With a focus on serving employees' highest priority needs, servant leaders can promote affective well-being. An important mechanism by which this relationship may manifest is through elevating employees' personal growth, which elicits positive effects that are connected with feelings of affective well-being. However, in turbulent times, furloughed employees may appreciate having a leader who cares for them and is attentive to their needs rather than experiencing personal growth. Using structural equation modeling to analyze a sample of 205 Spanish hotel employees after the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, we found that servant leadership increased the affective well-being of employees both directly and by elevating their personal growth. A multigroup analysis, together with the fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis, also revealed that, for active employees, both having a servant leader and experiencing personal growth were important for feeling affective well-being. However, for furloughed employees, only being supported by a caring leader was important. Thus, we shed new light on the mechanisms underlying the positive effect of servant leadership on employees' affective well-being and how this link works in times of severe change, such as those caused by the pandemic.

Reconstruction of trust and organizational commitment through servant leadership in the postpandemic era: evidence from the IT sector of Pakistan

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of the role of trust in leaders in the relationship between dimensions of servant leadership and dimensions of organizational commitment in the information technology (IT) sector of Pakistan in post-COVID era. This paper also highlights the role of trust in leader as mediating mechanism among the examined variables. Design/methodology/approach: Self-administered questionnaires were distributed to IT professional working in the IT sector of Pakistan. The sample included 283 across Pakistan. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data. Findings: Results indicated that trust in a leader has a significant indirect effect on the relationship between the dimensions of servant leadership and organizational commitment. Upon further investigation, it is found that in the majority of cases, the nature of mediation is partial in nature. Whereas, it is found that trust in leader fully mediates the relationship between persuasive mapping and normative commitment. Furthermore, trust in leader is also found to be fully mediating the relationship between emotional healing and continuance commitment. Research limitations/implications: This study is limited to the geographical boundaries of Pakistan, results obtained during the course of study have limited generalizability outside the country. Originality/value: This paper aims at addressing a gap in the literature by developing a model of how trust in leader mediates the relationship between servant leadership and organizational commitment, and examine relationship between individual dimensions of servant leadership and organizational commitment. © 2023, Emerald Publishing Limited.

Outcomes of servant leadership among flight attendants: test of parallel and serial multiple mediating effects

PurposeThis paper aims to examine the parallel and serial multiple mediating effects of job insecurity (JIS) and occupational self-efficacy (OSE) in the association between servant leadership and work engagement (WENG).Design/methodology/approachData collected from 296 flight attendants in Korea were tapped to assess the study hypotheses. The linkages were tested via structural equation modeling. The phantom variable was used to estimate the parallel and serial indirect impacts of JIS and OSE.FindingsServant leadership fosters OSE and WENG, while it alleviates JIS. Both JIS and OSE parallelly mediate the effect of servant leadership on WENG. Contrary to what has been hypothesized, the findings lend no credence to the serial multiple mediating impact.Practical implicationsManagement should pay utmost attention to the promotion of employees to supervisory positions based on "stringent selection and hiring of people.” Flight attendants high on WENG should have job security. This is important because such employees exhibit good performance at work. Management should also organize training programs that would enhance flight attendants' OSE.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to the relevant knowledge base by relating servant leadership to flight attendants' WENG through JIS and OSE. Because of the number of rising disengaged service workers across the globe, this study also gauges the factors influencing flight attendants' WENG and reports whether servant leadership, JIS and OSE influence their WENG at the same time. Unlike the preponderance of the empirical pieces, this study contributes to the literature by assessing the indirect effect of servant leadership on WENG via JIS and OSE as the parallel and serial multiple mediators using the phantom variable.

The Effect of Servant Leadership on Work Resilience: Evidence from the Hospitality Industry during the COVID-19 Period.

The COVID-19 pandemic is a tremendous crisis for public health, which also has a profound impact on business and social activities because many countries restrict travel and social gatherings to avoid the spread of COVID-19. Workers suffer from mental health problems including depression and anxiety due to the uncertain work environment. Hence, psychological resilience, a positive psychological response to these challenges, is essential to the success of employees and companies. Drawing on the conservation of resources theory (COR), this paper investigates how the leadership style (i.e., servant leadership) enhances the work resilience of hospitality employees through two time-lagged empirical studies. Specifically, study 1 demonstrates a positive relationship between servant leadership and employees' work resilience. Study 2 replicates study 1's result and further demonstrates that emotional exhaustion mediates the relationship between servant leadership and employees' work resilience. Furthermore, study 2 finds a significant moderating effect of job complexity. The findings of this paper provide empirical evidence for practitioners to manage employees' resilience and psychological resources.

How servant leadership predicts employee resilience in public organizations: a social identity perspective.

Through the lens of social identity theory, this work aims to investigate the impact of servant leadership on employee resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic and to explore their underlying mechanisms through two types of social identity: organizational identification and professional identity. To test our hypotheses, an online survey was conducted via a large number of 703 employees working in public organizations in southwest China. Results yielded from the structural equation modeling analysis via AMOS (24.0) indicated that the effect of servant leadership on employee resilience was fully mediated by organizational identification and professional identity, respectively. Besides, the association between servant leadership and employee resilience was sequentially mediated from organizational identification to professional identity, and from professional identity to organizational identification. This study provides the first evidence of the predictive effect of servant leadership on employee resilience through organizational identification and professional identity, highlighting the significance of social identity for building and maintaining employees' resilience in coping with challenges posed by COVID-19.