The Impact of Servant Leadership on Job Satisfaction

Oris Guillaume, Andrew Honeycutt, Amy R. Savage-Austin
(Shorter University, USA)

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of Servant Leadership on a workplace related outcome (job satisfaction) at a private University in Atlanta, Georgia. The ten characteristics of Servant Leadership previously identified by Greenleaf (1977) and Spears (1998) played a significant role in job satisfaction. Other researchers (Laub, 1999; Barbuto & Wheeler, 2006; Sendjaya et al., 2008) have also contributed in the deeper understanding of Servant Leadership in the workplace. While contributing to this body of work, this research utilized Barbuto and Wheeler’s (2006) instrument, Servant Leadership Questionnaire (SLQ), and Minnesota Job Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ) developed by Davis et al. (1967) in identifying the relationship between servant leadership and job satisfaction among faculty and non-faculty employees. The research found that Servant Leadership contributed to a satisfied workforce.

Key words: leadership; job satisfaction; servant leadership; academia; workplace

JEL codes: M10, M19