The effect of servant leadership tenets and perceived impact in a community development context

Deborah Ogochi, James Kilika and Truphena Oduol
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Deborah Ogochi: School of Business, Pan Africa Christian University, P.O Box 56875–00200, Nairobi, Kenya
James Kilika: School of Business, Kenyatta University, P.O. Box 43844-00100. Nairobi, Kenya
Truphena Oduol: School of Business, Pan Africa Christian University, P.O Box 56875–00200, Nairobi, Kenya

International Journal of Research in Business and Social Science (2147-4478), 2022, vol. 11, issue 4, 118-130

Abstract: The study responded to calls to extend the current understanding of servant leadership into new contexts. The selected context for investigation was the nonprofit sector in Kenya. Three objectives guided the study that sought to establish the servant leadership dimensions adopted, the impact achieved in the target communities and the effect of the dimensions on the level of impact achieved. 365 senior managers were sampled from 73 nonprofit organizations and data was collected on both dimensions of servant leadership and perceived impact in the communities served by the organizations. The study reports that ten attributes of servant leadership are relevant to the sector and are practiced to a moderate extent and this extent of adoption has accomplished a moderate level of impact in the communities served. Four tenets of servant leadership, holistic approach to work, service to others, sense of community and uprightness have a significant effect on the level of impact achieved in the communities. While a holistic approach and service to others have a negative effect, a sense of community and uprightness have a positive effect. The findings raise implications for the servant leadership theory and point to the need to complement its dimensions with the postulates of the situational leadership theory for a more appropriate application in work situations. The findings contribute toward addressing conceptual, theoretical, and empirical gaps found in the extant literature on servant leadership. Key Words:Community Development, Holistic Approach to Work, Project Impact, Sense of Community, Servant Leadership, Service to Others, Servant Leadership Tenets, Uprightness

Date: 2022
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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