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Reducing Employee Turnover Intention Through Servant Leadership in the

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Reducing Employee Turnover Intention Through

Servant Leadership in the Restaurant Context:
A Mediation Study of Affective Organizational
Commitment

Jichul Jang & Jay Kandampully

To cite this article: Jichul Jang & Jay Kandampully (2018) Reducing Employee Turnover
Intention Through Servant Leadership in the Restaurant Context: A Mediation Study of Affective
Organizational Commitment, International Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Administration, 19:2,
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INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HOSPITALITY & TOURISM ADMINISTRATION
2018, VOL. 19, NO. 2, 125–141
https://doi.org/10.1080/15256480.2017.1305310

Reducing Employee Turnover Intention Through Servant

Leadership in the Restaurant Context: A Mediation Study
of Affective Organizational Commitment
Jichul Janga and Jay Kandampullyb
a
Department of Hospitality Management, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, USA;
b
Department of Human Science (Hospitality and Retail Management Program), The Ohio State
University, Columbus, Ohio, USA

ABSTRACT ARTICLE HISTORY

Building on a social exchange theory, our model explains how Received 1 October 2015
an employee’s perception of servant leadership affect frontline Revised 13 January 2016
restaurant employees’ turnover intention. Data were collected Accepted 18 January 2016
from 213 frontline restaurant employees in United States. The KEYWORDS
structural equation modeling findings support our hypothe- Affective organizational
sized model and indicate that affective organizational commit- commitment; restaurant
ment fully mediated the relationship between the employee employees; servant
perception of servant leadership and turnover intention. This leadership; turnover
article includes discussions of the theoretical and managerial intention
implications of the findings.

Introduction
Employee turnover has long been recognized as a significant problem for
most organizations, particularly hospitality firms, which have turnover rates
of 60%–300% (Hinkin & Tracey, 2000; Kim, Lee, & Carlson, 2010; Lee &
Way, 2010; Walsh & Taylor, 2007). Although some employee turnover is
inevitable, excessive turnover places significant financial burdens on hospi-
tality organizations (Davidson, Timi, & Wang, 2010; Tracey & Hinkin, 2008).
Consequently, given that retaining and motivating frontline employees
plays a pivotal role in being successful in the hospitality industry (Nadiri &
Tanova, 2010), understanding the factors that may reduce turnover is crucial
for these firms to sustain a competitive advantage and differentiate them-
selves from their competitors. Although considerable research over the past
decades has been devoted to explaining the reasons for turnover (e.g., Cho,
Johanson, & Guchait, 2009; Karatepe & Uludag, 2008; Kim et al., 2010; Yang,
2008), the hospitality industry continues to suffer more than any other from
this problem. Previous research has found a link between a supervisor’s
leadership style and employee attitudes and behaviors (Darmon, 2008; Kim

CONTACT Jichul Jang jichul@ksu.edu Kansas State University, 148C Justin Hall, 1324 Lovers Lane,
Manhattan, KS 66506, USA.
Color versions of one or more of the figures in the article can be found online at www.tandfonline.com/WJHT.
© 2018 Taylor & Francis
126 J. JANG AND J. KANDAMPULLY

& Brymer, 2011; Mulki, Jaramillo, & Locander, 2006). Specifically, supportive
leaders are more likely to increase their employees’ intrinsic motivation
(Jaramillo & Mulki, 2008) and job satisfaction (DeCarlo & Agarwal, 1999),
and thus decrease turnover intentions (Jaramillo, Grisaffe, Chonko, &
Roberts, 2009; Kim & Brymer, 2011).
Servant leadership, a type of supportive leadership that shows a genuine
concern for followers, is defined as “an understanding and practice of leader-
ship that places emphasis on the interests of followers over the self-interest of
the leader, focuses on followers’ development, and de-emphasizes glorifica-
tion of the leader” (Hale & Field, 2007, p. 397). Although some research has
been conducted on the influence of servant leadership on work-related out-
comes in various contexts (Jaramillo, Grisaffe, Chonko, & Robert, 2009;
Liden, Wayne, Liao, & Meuser, 2014; Walumbwa, Harnell, & Oke, 2010),
little empirical research has been conducted to date to explain better the
mechanisms by which servant leaders in the restaurant industry influence
their followers’ behaviors. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to develop
and test a theoretical model to investigate the underlying process through
which servant leadership may be related to turnover intentions in a restau-
rant context. Specifically, we selected affective organizational commitment,
which is defined as “positive feelings of identification with, attachment to,
and involvement in the work organization” (Meyer & Allen, 1984, p. 375) as
a critical mediating variable to explain the relationship between servant
leadership and turnover intentions.
We used social exchange theory (Blau, 1964) as the guiding framework in
our model. According to this theory, the beneficial acts of an individual toward
another create obligations that must be reciprocated by that person. We argued
that an employee’s perception of servant leadership may reduce turnover
intentions through the mediating role of affective organizational commitment.
Thus, when service employees feel that their managers are engaged actively in
servant leadership behaviors (i.e., the prioritization of concern for subordi-
nates), they may feel obligated to reciprocate that treatment. One way to do so
is to be committed emotionally to the organization, which can lead to lower
employee turnover because the give-and-take between two parties is a vital
element in social exchange.
This study contributes to the hospitality literature in two ways. First, while
past research has examined the effect of different leadership styles on
employee attitudes and behaviors, the impact of servant leadership on affec-
tive organizational commitment has been relatively overlooked in the hospi-
tality industry. Second, and more importantly, the mediating role of affective
organizational commitment in the relationship between servant leadership
and turnover intention in the industry has yet to be explored. Our study
contributes to the current hospitality leadership literature by examining the
effect of servant leadership on turnover intentions by positing that affective
 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HOSPITALITY & TOURISM ADMINISTRATION 127

organizational commitment is a useful mediator in the relationship between

the two.
The structure of the article is as follows. First, we review the concepts of
servant leadership. Second, we develop our hypotheses and present our
conceptual framework. We then introduce the data collection method and
analysis, as well as our findings. We conclude the article with a discussion of
the implications of the results, as well as suggestions for future study.

Relevant Literature and Research Hypotheses

Servant Leadership
The concept of servant leadership was first originated by Greenleaf (1977) in
an essay entitled “The Servant as Leader.” In this groundbreaking essay,
Greenleaf (1977) argued that “the great leader is seen as a servant first, and
that simple fact is the key to his greatness” (p. 21). Later, Laub (1999)
developed a servant leadership model and defined it as:
The valuing and development of people, the building of community, the practice of
authenticity, the providing of leadership for the good of those led and the sharing
of power and status for the common good of each individual, the total organization
and those served by the organization. (p. 83)

According to Greenleaf (1977), a servant leader possesses the following

characteristics: initiative; ability to listen and understand; imagination; the
ability to withdraw; acceptance and empathy; intuition; foresight; awareness
and perception; the ability to persuade; the ability to conceptualize, heal, and
serve; and the ability to build a sense of community. Later, Spears (1995,
1998) identified 10 major attributes of servant leaders based on Greenleaf’s
essay: listening, empathy, healing, awareness, persuasion, conceptualization,
foresight, stewardship, commitment to the growth of people, and community
building. However, Spears (1998) argued that “These ten characteristics of
servant leadership are by no means exhaustive” (p. 29). Russell and Stone
(2002) delineated 20 distinguished attributes based on those of Spears (1995,
1998) and Greenleaf, which include nine functional attributes and 11 accom-
panying attributes of servant leadership.
Even though these characteristics of servant leaders are the basis for better
understanding of this essential concept, they do overlap somewhat with the
other leadership styles (e.g., charismatic, transformational, ethical, and
authentic leadership). However, servant leadership is fundamentally different
from other leadership styles. First, servant leaders place the interest of
followers before themselves (Ehrhart, 2004; Laub, 1999; Spears, 1998).
Unlike other leadership styles, such as charismatic and transformational
leadership, that inspire followers to share a vision and empower them to
128 J. JANG AND J. KANDAMPULLY

achieve this vision (Bass, 1985), servant leadership emphasizes the develop-
ment of followers. Whetstone (2002) indicated that while transformational
leaders focus on organizational objectives, servant leaders focus on acting in
the best interests of their followers. Second, servant leaders attempt to uphold
the personal values of honesty and integrity (Russell, 2001). However, the
other leadership theories such as charismatic and transformational leadership
make no mention of these values (Bass, 1985). Previous studies on servant
leadership support the concept that it is distinct from other leadership
theories. For instance, Ehrhart (2004) developed a servant leadership scale
consisting of the following seven key types of servant behaviors: “(1) forming
relationships with subordinates, (2) empowering them, (3) helping subordi-
nates grow and succeed, (4) behaving ethically, (5) possessing conceptual
skills, (6) putting subordinates first, and (7) creating value for those outside
the organization” (p. 73). These dimensions capture two major aspects of
servant leadership: “ethical behavior” and “the prioritization of concern for
subordinates” (Ehrhart, 2004).

Servant Leadership and Affective Organizational Commitment

According to Meyer and Allen (1991), organizational commitment consists
of three dimensions: (a) continuous organizational commitment, (b) affective
organizational commitment, and (c) normative organizational commitment.
Among the three dimensions of organizational commitment, affective orga-
nizational commitment, which is defined as “positive feelings of identifica-
tion with, attachment to, and involvement in the work organization” (Meyer
& Allen, 1984, p. 375) is selected for this study. First, according to meta-
analysis (Meyer, Stanley, Herscovitch, & Topolnytsky, 2002), affective com-
mitment had the strongest correlation with work-related outcomes. Second,
previous studies have found that affective organizational commitment is
largely influenced by leadership (Eisenberger, Stinglhamber, Vandenberghe,
Sucharski, & Rhoades, 2002). Given that this study focuses on the important
role of servant leadership to enhance employee work-related outcomes,
focusing on affective organizational commitment is appropriate for this
study. Third, many empirical studies focused on only affective organizational
commitment (Camelo-Ordaz, Garcia-Cruz, Sousa-Ginel, &Valle-Cabrera,
2011; Gardner, Wright, & Moynihan, 2011; Gilbert, De Winne, & Sels,
2011; Poon, 2012; Walumbwa et al., 2010). Therefore, on the basis of the
existing literature, this study proposes that servant leadership is positively
associated with affective organizational commitment.
In the present study, servant leadership, which focuses on the development
of employees and ethical behaviors, may contribute to increasing the service
employees’ affective commitment to the organization. Such direct impact of
servant leadership on affective organizational commitment can be explained
 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HOSPITALITY & TOURISM ADMINISTRATION 129

by the social exchange theory (Blau, 1964) and the norm of reciprocity
(Gouldner, 1960). According to these, the beneficial acts of an individual
toward another create obligations that must be reciprocated. Servant leaders
help their employees grow and succeed by placing the best interests of their
employees first, which causes the employees to feel obligated to reciprocate
that treatment by being committed to the organization. Liden, Wayne, Zhao,
and Henderson (2008) suggested that one dimension of servant leadership,
“helping subordinates grow and succeed,” also plays an important role in
increasing organizational commitment. Studies, such as those conducted by
Jaramillo et al. (2009), have shown a positive impact of servant leadership on
organizational commitment. Thus, we propose the following hypothesis:

H1: Employee perceptions of servant leadership is positively related to affec-

tive organizational commitment.

Affective Organizational Commitment and Turnover Intention

In this study, we argue the relationship between affective organizational
commitment and turnover intention. Previous studies have found a strong
negative correlation between affective organizational commitment and turn-
over intention (Ali & Baloch, 2009; Ahmad & Omar, 2010), which indicates
that the employees may leave their organization when they lack a sense of
commitment to it. In the hospitality literature, Yang (2008) found that lack of
organizational commitment was a predictor of turnover intention when
studying hotel employees in Taiwan. Kim, Leong, and Lee (2005) study of
restaurant employees also supported this finding. Recently, Karatepe,
Babakus, and Yavas (2012) found that affective organizational commitment
has a significant negative impact on turnover intention with frontline
employees in Turkey. Thus, the following hypothesis is proposed:

H2: Affective organizational commitment is negatively related to turnover

intention.

Mediating Role of Affective Organizational Commitment

We contend that the process through which servant leadership influences
employee turnover intention can be attributed to employees’ affective com-
mitment to the organization. According to Bagozzi (1992), an individual
monitors and evaluates various events and situations and creates a particular
emotional reaction, which in turn leads to various coping responses (beha-
viors). That is, affective reactions mediate the relationship between cognitive
130 J. JANG AND J. KANDAMPULLY

Figure 1. Hypothesis model.

appraisals of various events and individual behaviors. In the current study,

employee perception of servant leadership (i.e., appraisal of events and
situation) will affect frontline restaurant employees’ emotional attachment
to the organization (affective reaction), which may result in reducing
employee turnover intention (individual behavior). Therefore, we argue
that employee affective organizational commitment plays an important role
to explain the relationship between the employee perception of servant
leadership and employee turnover intention. Thus, the following hypothesis:

H3: Affective organizational commitment mediates the relationship between

the employee perception of servant leadership and employee turnover
intention.

The conceptual framework, presented in Figure 1 incorporates servant

leadership as an antecedent of affective organizational commitment which
may influence turnover intention.

Methodology
Instruments
The validated measures in previous studies were used to measure three
constructs (i.e., servant leadership, affective organizational commitment,
and turnover intention). Participants responded on a 5-point scale, ranging
from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). We measured servant leader-
ship using 14 items developed from Ehrhart (2004). The respondents were
asked to indicate their feelings about their immediate supervisor. Sample
items are: “My immediate supervisor spends time to form quality relation-
ships with employees” and “My immediate supervisor’s decisions are influ-
enced by employees’ input.” We measured affective commitment using five
items developed and validated by Allen and Meyer (1990). The original scale
was comprised of eight items, but we used five items to measure affective
commitment which has been widely used in previous studies (Meyer, Allen,
& Smith, 1993). Some wordings were modified for this study. Sample items
are: “I do feel a strong sense of belonging to this restaurant” and “I do not
 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HOSPITALITY & TOURISM ADMINISTRATION 131

feel like part of the family at this restaurant” (reversed). Turnover intention
was measured using three items from Cammann, Fichman, Jenkins, and
Klesh (1979). Sample items are: “I often think about leaving my job” and “I
will quit my job in the next year.” All responses were averaged, creating a
single turnover intention index. Higher scores point out that participants are
more likely to leave their job. Finally, personal information such as age,
gender, race, marital status, and job tenure was obtained (a complete list of
items is presented in the Appendix).

Data Collection Procedure

Data for this study were collected from 22 casual dining restaurants in the
Midwestern United States operated by a large restaurant company. Managers
at these establishments described the menu of their restaurants as moderately
priced and filled with high-quality food and beverage items served quickly in
a comfortable atmosphere. Average prices on the menu range from $6–$9 per
person for lunch. Restaurant setting were selected for this study because of
the increasingly competitive environment in the industry, which requires
effective leadership for the success of service firms (Gupta, McDaniel, &
Herath, 2005; Moreno, Morales, & Montes, 2005). Given that this study
focuses on the importance of servant leadership, selecting a restaurant con-
text may be appropriate for this study. Our participants consisted of frontline
employees, defined as the employees who are usually responsible for inter-
acting with customers, serving foods and responding to customer complaints.
Their job titles were bartenders, busboys, waiters, or waitresses.
Using convenience sampling, the researcher sent an introductory e-mail to
managers in each restaurant to explain the purpose of this study and request
permission to conduct the research on their premises. Among the 39 restau-
rant establishments contacted, 22 agreed to participate in this study. Once
they agreed, the contact at each location was scheduled to discuss the details
of the study. Before sending out the main survey, a pilot survey was given to
20 undergraduate students who currently work part-time at restaurants to
ensure the clarity of each question. Based on suggestions received from the
pilot test, minor changes were made.
Among the 22 participating restaurants, we personally distributed
survey packages to each restaurant employee at 9 of them during weekly
meeting with help of restaurant managers. At the other 13 participating
restaurants, the restaurant managers were asked to distribute the survey
packages to nonmanagerial employees because they did not permit an
in-person survey distribution. Each survey packet included a cover letter,
self-administered questionnaire and prepaid stamped envelope. The
cover letter clearly explained the purpose of the study, suggested the
likely time needed to complete it, and guaranteed the privacy of
132 J. JANG AND J. KANDAMPULLY

respondents. In addition, they were reassured that their participation was

voluntary and their responses would remain confidential. Each partici-
pant was given the option to fill out the questionnaire during their
breaks, either at the beginning or at the end of their shifts, put the
completed survey in a sealed envelope, and mail it directly to the
researcher. A total of 230 questionnaires were returned the researcher
via postal mail, yielding a response rate of 44.84%. After removing 17
incomplete questionnaires, 213 usable questionnaires were used for data
analysis.

Nonresponse Bias
To check for nonresponse error, we compared early and late respondents using
independent t-tests, with the assumption that participants who choose not to
respond to a questionnaire are similar to those who respond late. This method is
based on suggestions of Armstrong and Overton (1977). If no statistically
significant differences emerge between early and late respondents, the popula-
tion of respondents likely represents the overall target population, so the results
should not be biased by the sample selection. Respondents who returned their
questionnaires in 10 days represented the group of late respondents. An analysis
of variance showed no significant effects of early or late responses.

Data Analysis
The data were analyzed using SPPS version 22 and AMOS version 22. First,
descriptive statistics were employed to identify the respondents’ demographic
profiles and then structural equation model was used to test hypotheses in
this study. More specifically, based on Anderson and Gerbing’s two-step
approach (Anderson & Gerbing, 1988), we first conducted confirmatory
factor analyses (CFA) to determine if the items loaded on their respective
scales and then examined the significance of the coefficients of the paths
among latent variables for hypotheses testing.

Results
Demographic Profile of Respondents
Among the respondents, the 56% of respondents were female. A total of
37% of respondents were between 20 and 29 years old, and 49% were
between 30 and 39 years old. The majority of the respondents were
Caucasian (69%) and single (55%). More than half (63%) had a college
degree. Most employees (61%) had worked in restaurant industry more
 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HOSPITALITY & TOURISM ADMINISTRATION 133

Table 1. The Demographic Profile of Respondents (N = 213).

Variable n Valid %
Gender
Male 94 44.1
Female 119 55.9
Marital status
Single 116 54.5
Married 95 44.6
Divorced 2 0.9
Education
Less than the high school 4 1.9
High school 46 21.6
Bachelor’s degree 134 62.9
Graduate degree 29 13.6
Age
20–29 78 36.6
30–39 104 48.8
40–49 23 10.8
Over 60 8 3.8
Ethnicity
Caucasian 146 68.5
Asian 35 16.4
Hispanic 20 9.4
Native American 8 3.8
African American 4 1.9
Job tenure
Less than 1 year 79 37.1
1–3 years 130 61
3–5 years 4 1.9
Note. Valid %: Based only on cases who actually answered a question.

than 1 year but less than 3 years. Table 1 summarizes the demographic
profile for our sample.

Harman’s Single-factor Test

Since the cross-sectional study was conducted, data suffered from common
method bias (Podsakoff, MacKenzie, Lee, & Podsakoff, 2003). Among various
techniques to check the risk of common method bias, Harman’s single factor
test was employed to check for common method variance (Podsakoff et al.,
2003). A principle component factor analysis with nonrotation was conducted
to see if a single factor explains the majority of the total variances (Podsakoff &
Organ, 1986). The factor analysis revealed three factors with eigenvalues above
1. The first factor did not explain the most of variance (31.2%). As a result, we
indicated that no common method variances was present.

Descriptive Analyses
Table 2 indicates the means with standard deviations, reliability and the
correlations among the variables used in this study. As presented in
134 J. JANG AND J. KANDAMPULLY

Table 2. Means, Standard Deviations, Reliability, and Correlations Between the Variables.
Correlations
Variable M (SD) Cronbach’s α 1 2 3
1. Servant leadership 3.87(0.50) 0.828 1
2. Affective organizational commitment 3.52(0.78) 0.813 0.537** 1
3. Turnover intention 2.67(0.80) 0.715 −0.176** −0.420** 1
Note. p < .01.

Table 2, servant leadership was positively correlated with affective organiza-

tional commitment (γ = .537, p < .01). Servant leadership was also negatively
related to turnover intention (γ = −.176, p < .01). Finally, the negative
correlation between affective organizational commitment and turnover
intention was found (γ = −.42, p < .01). All of the scales were reliable because
all Cronbach’s alpha values were higher than 0.7.

Confirmatory Factor Analysis

As recommended by Anderson and Gerbing (1988), we performed a CFA to
ensure if the items loaded on their respective scales. The parameters of the three
latent construct models were estimated with the maximum likelihood method.
According to the results of CFA, some of items were removed due to low
standard loading (<.50) or cross-loadings (Bagozzi & Yi, 1988). More specially,
four items from servant leadership and one item from turnover intention were
deleted from analysis. The revised model fit showed acceptable standard. The
chi-square ratio over degree of freedom was 3.57 (c2 = 232.182, χ2 /df = 3.57,
p < .001), which was below the value of 5 required to indicate a good fit (Hair,
Anderson, & Tatham, 1998). The comparative fit index (CFI) was .92 and the
incremental fit index (IFI) was .92, which are both higher than the standard
indicated by Bentler and Bonnett (1980). Given that all factor loadings were
significant, convergent validity was confirmed.

Structural Equation Model

After conducting a CFA, we tested the hypothesized model. Table 3 indicates
that the difference (c2) between the partial mediation model and direct model
is 19.02. The indices (i.e., GFI, CFI, and IFI) of the partial mediation model
had better adaptability than the direct model. Next, when the comparison

Table 3. Results for Fit Indices of Structural Models.

Model c2 c2 /df c2 GFI CFI IFI
Direct effect model (M1) 223.441 5.586 — 0.862 0.88 0.87
Partial mediation model (M2) 204.421 3.145 M1–M2 = 19.02 0.897 0.929 0.930
Full mediation model (M3) 198.275 3.143 M2–M3 = 6.15 0.90 0.930 0.932
 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HOSPITALITY & TOURISM ADMINISTRATION 135

Table 4. Path of Structural Model.

Standardized path coefficients (t value)
Direct effects model Partial mediation model Full mediation model
→ SL TOI −0.182 (−2.527) 0.015 (0.0197)
→ SL AC 0.469 (7.948***) 0.471 (5.247***)
→ AC TOI −0.392 (−5.535***) −0.399 (−4.830***)
Note. SL = Servant Leadership; TOI = Turnover Intention, AC = Affective Commitment.

between the full mediation model and partial mediation model, the differ-
ences of c2 is 6.15. The indices of the full mediation model had better
adaptability than the partial mediation model. As a result, the full mediation
model was a suitable model (c2 = 198.275 with df = 63, p < .000, GFI = 0.90,
CFI = 0.930, and IFI = 0.932). Results show that servant leadership has a
direct and positive effect on affective commitment, thus supporting H1 (β=
0.471, t = 5.247, p < .01). As hypothesized, employee affective organizational
commitment had a significant impact on turnover intention (H2:β= −0.399,
t = −.4830, p < .01). The study found that affective organizational commit-
ment was a full mediator between servant leadership and turnover intention.
In other words, servant leadership did positively influences employee affec-
tive organizational commitment, thus indirectly decreasing employee turn-
over intention. Thus, Hypothesis 3 was supported. The results of path
analysis are shown in Table 4.

Discussion and Implications

Theoretical Implications
Although recent research has emphasized the importance of servant leader-
ship, relatively limited attention has been paid to the underlying process
through which servant leaders influence employees’ desired behaviors in the
hospitality industry. This study filled the gap by examining the impact of
servant leadership on turnover intention that was mediated by affective
organizational commitment using restaurant employees. Our empirical find-
ings support that affective organizational commitment mediated the relation-
ship between servant leadership and turnover intention. In other words, this
study suggests that servant leadership may enhance affective organizational
commitment, which ultimately contributes to reducing the employee turn-
over intention.
Our study contributes significantly to the hospitality management litera-
ture in three ways. Firstly, few empirical studies have examined the relation-
ship between servant leadership and affective commitment (except for
Jaramillo et al., 2009). Thus, our study extends previous literature by
136 J. JANG AND J. KANDAMPULLY

investigating the effect of servant leadership on affective commitment in the

hospitality industry. The empirical results of our study found servant leader-
ship to be a key component in fostering affective commitment to organiza-
tion, which suggests that employees are more committed emotionally to their
organizations when their managers exhibit servant leadership.
Second, a unique contribution of this study was that we examined the
relationships among servant leadership, affective organizational commit-
ment, and turnover intention at the same time in a single model. Our
study found that affective commitment is a full mediator on the relationship
between servant leadership and turnover intention. This study concluded
that employee affective commitment to an organization significantly and
negatively influenced employee turnover intention. Employees’ feeling of
attachment to the organization helps them to stay with their organization.
However, employees’ level of affective commitment depends on the degree of
employee perception of servant leadership.
Third, few studies focusing on servant leadership have been conducted
in the hospitality context, which is surprising, given that the concept of
servant leadership is especially necessary in the hospitality industry
(Brownell, 2010). In reality, employee turnover in the hospitality indus-
try is notoriously high because the nature of work is labor intensive
(Kim et al., 2010; Walsh & Taylor, 2007). One way to reduce employee
turnover rate is by a manager’s leadership (Gerstner & Day, 1997). Given
that helping employees to grow and integrity are essential for effective
hospitality management (Brownell, 2010; Chung-Herrera, Enz, &
Lankau, 2003), our study contributes to hospitality leadership literature
by understanding the importance of servant leadership in the hospitality
industry.

Managerial Implications
Beyond the theoretical importance of these findings, this study provides
critical implications for restaurant managers and hospitality educators. We
argue that restaurant firms should implement an intensive leadership train-
ing program for restaurant managers to help them understand the impor-
tance of servant leadership and develop such related behaviors as nurturing,
behaving ethically, and inspiring employees to foster positive attitudes. Given
that employees’ attitudes (i.e., employee affective organizational commit-
ment) play an important role in delivering high quality service and creating
long-term relationships with customers in the restaurant industry (Chung &
Schneider, 2002; Delcourt, Gremler, Van Riel, & Van Birgelen, 2013; He, Li,
& Lai, 2011), servant leadership is a powerful tool to gain competitive
advantages over other restaurant companies. The results of this study also
should motivate hospitality educators to develop a hospitality curriculum to
 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HOSPITALITY & TOURISM ADMINISTRATION 137

build servant leadership practices for future hospitality leaders. Secondly, the
findings demonstrate that affective organizational commitment is an essential
factor that influences turnover intention.

Limitations and Future Research

Although this study provides useful insights into the importance of servant
leadership in the hospitality sectors, it also has some limitations. First, this
study employed a cross-sectional research design because each participating
restaurant allowed us to survey their service employees only once. Therefore, it
is difficult to make causal inferences conclusively. Future studies are needed to
conduct longitudinal research to explain causality among constructs. Second, we
asked frontline employees to rate their perceptions of servant leadership, affective
organizational commitment, and turnover intention. Thus, the results may be
inflated because of the occurrence of the common method variance. Also,
participants were recruited using convenience sampling. Furthermore, this
study was limited to restaurant employees within the hospitality industry. Thus,
it would be rather difficult to make generalizations from these findings to other
types of businesses. It would be beneficial to conduct studies with larger sample
size in other service contexts.

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Appendix

Servant Leadership
(1) My immediate supervisor spends time to form quality relationships with employees.
(2) My immediate supervisor creates a sense of community among employees.
(3) My immediate supervisor’s decisions are influenced by employees’ input.
(4) My immediate supervisor tries to reach consensus among employees on important
decisions.
(5) My immediate supervisor is sensitive to employees’ responsibilities outside the
workplace.
(6) My immediate supervisor considers personal development of employee a priority.
(7) My immediate supervisor holds employees of high ethical standards.
(8) My immediate supervisor does what she or he promise to do.
(9) My immediate supervisor balances concern for day-to-day details with projection for
the future.
(10) My immediate supervisor shows considerable interest to find solutions to work
problems.
(11) My immediate supervisor makes me feel like that I work with the management and not
for the management.
(12) My immediate supervisor works hard to find ways to help employees.
(13) My immediate supervisor encourages employees to be involved in community service
and to engage in volunteer activities outside of work.
(14) My immediate supervisor emphasizes the importance of giving back to the community.

Affective Organizational Commitment

(1) I do feel a strong sense of belonging to this restaurant
(2) I do not feel like part of the family at this restaurant. (Reverse)
(2) I do not feel “emotionally attached” to this restaurant. (Reverse)
(3) I would be very happy to spend the rest of my career with this restaurant.
(4) This restaurant has a great deal of personal meaning for me.

Turnover Intention
(1) I often think about quitting.
(2) I will quit my job in the next year.
(3) I will leave the job next year.

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