A daily investigation of the influence of servant leadership on employees’ calling

ChunXia Liu, Shuwei Zong, Fu Yang and Xu Huang

Nankai Business Review International, 2025, vol. 16, issue 3, 471-488

Abstract: PurposeAlthough the effects of calling have received considerable attention in management research, few studies have delved into its antecedents and mechanisms, resulting in research that lacks a dynamic perspective. Hence, by leveraging the social cognitive theory, this study aims to explore the influence of servant leadership on employees’ calling through a dynamic lens.Design/methodology/approachAn experience sampling study was conducted among 111 employees over 15 consecutive workdays in China. Hypotheses were examined using multilevel moderated mediation models.FindingsResults indicated that there was significant variation in employees’ daily calling within individuals. Daily servant leadership positively influenced employees’ daily calling. Daily role breadth self-efficacy (RBSE) mediated this process, while person–environment fit played a moderating role.Practical implicationsOrganizations and managers are advised to adopt a servant leadership approach to bolster employees’ calling. Furthermore, they should implement effective strategies to reinforce employees’ RBSE, while striving to achieve a better fit between employees and the organization.Originality/valueThis paper provides an initial exploration of the antecedents of calling and its mechanisms from a dynamic perspective.

Keywords: Calling; Servant leadership; Role breadth self-efficacy; Person–environment fit (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eme:nbripp:nbri-08-2024-0090

DOI: 10.1108/NBRI-08-2024-0090

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