M.

Phil SYNOPSIS

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SERVANT LEADERSHIP AND

EMPLOYEES’ PERFORMANCE

SUBMITTED BY: TAYYABA GUL

Registration # COM -2015-59

SUPERVISOR DR. ANEEL KUMAR

Assistant Professor, Department of
Commerce

CO-SUPERVISOR PROF. DR. IKHTIAR ALI

GHUMRO
Professor, Department of
Commerce

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
FACULTY OF MANAGEMENT SCIENCES
SHAH ABDUL LATIF UNIVERSITY, KHAIRPUR

YEAR 2018
 CONTENTS
S. No Title Page No
1. Introduction 1
2. Statement of the Problem 2
3. Research Objectives 3
4. Research Questions 3
5. Theoretical Framework and Hypotheses 4
5.1 The relationship between Servant Leadership and Organizational Citizenship
Behavior 4
5.2 The relationship between Servant Leadership and In-Role Behaviors 4
6. Research Model 6
7. Significance of Study 6
8. Research Methodology 7
8.1 Sample 7
8.2 Measures 7
8.3 Data Analysis Techniques 7
9. Limitations 8
10. Time Line 8
11. References 8
1. Introduction/ Background

In the recent years, the studies have done to unveil leadership styles that should be distinct from
other forms of leadership and effective as well. Accordingly, researchers have put efforts and
identified a distinct leadership style, servant leadership. The hunt for effective leadership style has
attracted the focus of researchers for so many years in order to identify a unique style of people-
oriented leadership (Bass & Avolio, 1993; Stone, Russell, & Patterson, 2004; Parolini, Patterson,
& Winston, 2009). A study conducted on college and organizational leadership, showed that
servant leadership style is a vibrant and active way of leading employees Stone et al. (2004). In
his early work servant leadership, Greenleaf (1977) describes it as a principle of living a life not
as a procedure to manage individuals at the workplace. The pricniple to life starts with a feeling
that emerges from the conscious that leader emphasis on serving first rather than leading, their
ultimate objective is to serve the followers first that means the key emphasis is put on the serving
culture. Furthermore, he stated that the vital precept of servant leadership is to emphasis on to be
servant first by that he means that the fundamental characteristic of a servant leader is to support
the followers in satisfying the needs and wants of followers related with work and home as well,
then lead. Means putting the servants first and then himself/herself second). The basic purpose of
the leadership with servant leadership orientation is to strive and work for the betterment of
subordinates by providing basic necessities fulfil followers desires by putting personal efforts
(Whetstone, 2002).

In today’s world peoples are giving much attention to this people-centred style of leadership as it
is an emerging style of leadership that primarily focuses leadership as a trait to serve peoples and
wants to help others by identifying and meeting the needs of not only employees but colleagues,
and communities as well. To investigate the diverse features of the servant leadership, a plethora
of investigations have been carried out in organizational settings (Russell & Stone, 2002; Shaw
&Newton, 2014; Spears, 2004). Moreover, servant leadership has contributed significantly to
improve the employees’ attitudes and behaviours in the workplace such as employee
commitment(Jacobs, 2006; Russell & Stone, 2002; van Dierendonck, 2011), employee satisfaction
(Netemeyer, Maxham, & Pullig, 2005). Past studies have shown few outcomes as predicted by
servant leadership, however, out of them, employee performance (organizational citizenship

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 behavior); the most imperative outcome predicted by servant leadership has been studied most
rigorously (Dirks & Ferrin, 2002; Hu & Liden, 2011;; Liden, Wayne, Zhao, & Henderson, 2008;
Ehrhart, 2004; Sendjaya, Sarros, & Santora, 2008; Hunter et al., 2013; Smith, Organ, & Near,
1983; Walumbwa, Hartnell, & Oke, 2010) and in-role behavior (Mayer, Bardes, & Piccolo, 2008;
McCrimmon, 2010; Sun & Wang, 2009) however the influential effect of servant leadership on
employee performance which includes organizational citizenship behaviour and in-role behaviour
has hardly been investigated in the context of franchise school teachers of the District Headquarter
of Khairpur Mir’s. The term organizational citizenship behaviour refers to the “voluntary modes
of cooperation and contributions that employees or members of the team render as a part of job
satisfaction”(Organ, 2018, p3).The in-role behaviours refer to employees’ performance behaviour
that is clearly described in their job descriptions, that is the roles and responsibilities assigned to
them in the organization, for which the employees have been hired and paid for(Organ, 2018).
Following social exchange theory Blau (SET) (1964), the current study proposes that servant
leaders (principals) positive behaviour can influence the teachers to reciprocate by displaying
improved performance in the workplace through their in–role behaviour and (extra-role
behaviours). Therefore, this study mainly focuses on the examination of positive influence of
servant leadership on teachers’ performance behaviours which includes organizational citizenship
behaviour and in-role behaviour.

2. Research Questions

 What is the relationship between servant leadership and teachers’ performance behaviours
(organizational citizenship behaviour and in-role behaviour)?

3. Research Objectives

To address the problem discussed above, this study will attempt to accomplish following
objectives:

 To determine the relationship between principles’ servant leadership and teachers’

performance behaviours (organizational citizenship behaviour and in-role behaviour).

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4. Theoretical Framework and Hypotheses

The extensive literature review of the research studies and building upon Social Exchange Theory
(SET) (Blau, 1964) following are hypothesized;

4.1 Servant Leadership and Organizational Citizenship Behavior

As a stand-alone leadership style, servant leadership with its emphasis on altruism possess
potential to develop and induce positive organizational behaviours in followers, particularly
organizational citizenship behaviour (OCB) (Sendjaya et al., 2008). According to a study by
Walumbwa, Hartnell & Oke, (2010), servant leadership facilitates organizational citizenship
behaviours (OCBs) in the workplace. Further, the proposed positive association amid servant-
leadership and organizational citizenship behaviours (OCB) is evident in the study conducted by
Smith, Organ, & Near, (1983). Moreover, in his study, Vondey (2010) concluded that servant
leadership develops Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB) among employees/ followers.
Dirks & Ferrin, (2002) also of the opinion and concluded that servant leadership is positively
related with organization citizenship behaviour. Thus, based on the support found from literature,
it is hypothesised that the positive and helping behaviour of servant leader can influence the
teachers to reciprocate in the workplace by providing help to their coworkers (i.e., teachers)
through displaying organizational citizenship behaviour.

H1: There is a positive relationship between servant leadership and teachers’ organizational
citizenship behaviour.

4.2 Servant Leadership and In-Role Behaviors

According to Mayer, Bardes, & Piccolo, (2008), the employee performance will enhance when
they perceive their managers as a servant leader. In this regard, evidence found from the study of
Sun & Wang, (2009) in which they found a significant impact of servant leadership on employees
task performance. Servant leadership is found to be effective because of their concern towards the
fulfilment of the needs of followers, that the leaders looked after the followers so that they strive
to do their best by showing their full potential and achieve their goals (McCrimmon, 2010).Sun &
Wang, (2009).

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 Thus, based on the support found from literature and underpinning theory for this study, we
hypothesise that the positive and helping behaviour of servant leader can influence the teachers to
reciprocate in the workplace by showing their improved work role performance (in-role
behaviour).

H2: There is a positive relationship between servant leadership and teachers’ in-role behaviour.

5. Research Model

Employees’
Performance
Servant Leadership
 Organizational
citizenship
behavior
 In-Role Behaviors

Figure1: Conceptual Framework

6. Research Methodology

6.1 Sample

To collect the data, the primary data will be collected by distributing survey questionnaire among
school teachers of franchise school in the city area of district Khairpur Mir’s, which comes under
the Jurisdiction of Municipal Committee, Taluka, District Khairpur Mir’s, Sindh province of
Pakistan. The sample will be selected through simple random sampling technique. The sample
target will be the franchise school teachers of Khairpur Mir’s.

6.2 Measures

A 28-items scale adopted from Liden et al., (2008) to measure servant leadership to collect
responses from teachers about their perception of principals’ servant leadership behaviour. To
measure the organizational citizenship behaviour, Williams and Anderson (2001)13-items scale

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 was used. In-role behaviours will be measured through the 7-items scale adopted from Williams
&Anderson (1991).

6.3 Data Analysis Techniques

Firstly, preliminary data screening tests, normality tests will be performed. The hypotheses will be
tested by using regression analysis in Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS 20).

7. Limitations

This research has some limitations such as cross-sectional data will be collected due to a limited
period of time. There can be many other potential antecedents of employees’ performance, but the
emphasis of this research on investigating the indirect effect of felt obligation between servant
leadership and employees’ performance. Data will be collected from the franchise schools of city
area of Khairpur District only, due to a limited period of time.

8. Time Line

The research proposal will be submitted in the last week of April 2018. Further after approval of
the proposal, primary data will be collected in 02 months, from June to Mid of July 2018.
Simultaneously write up of the thesis will also be continued during this period. Results will be
analysed, and interpretation of results will be written in thesis during the month of August 2018.
Further, final discussion chapter will be written in the month of September 2018 and by the end of
September 2018, the thesis will be submitted for evaluation. This thesis work is expected to
complete by September 2018.

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9. References

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Ehrhart, M. G. (2004). Leadership and procedural justice climate as antecedents of unit-level
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Greenleaf, R. K. (1977). Servant Leadership. Leadership Excellence.
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