Title:

Servant leadership in higher education: Exploring perceptions of

educators and staff employed in a university setting

Author(s):
Iken, Stacie L.
ikensl@umary.edu -- 701-255-7500
Dept. of Occupational Therapy - Division of Human Performance Science -University of Mary - 7500 University Drive, Bismarck, ND, 58504
Degree: Ph.D.
Year: 2005
Pages: 00086
Institution: The University of North Dakota; 0156
Advisor: Adviser Richard Landry
Source: DAI, 66, no. 12A (2005): p. 4317
Standard ISBN: 0-542-46147-1
No:
Abstract: The purpose of this research was to determine and compare perceptions among
educators and staff of the practice of servant leadership on an institution-wide basis
at a private Christian university in the Midwest. Two separate studies were
conducted as part of this research project. The first study examined perceptions of
teaching faculty at the university. Perceptions of educators were compared across a
spectrum of academic majors and for varying degrees of exposure to the
servant leadership model. The second study examined perceptions of staff.
Perceptions of these employees were compared across a spectrum of positions and
for varying degrees of exposure to the servantleadership model.
The Organizational Leadership Assessment was used to gather data about
perceptions of servant leadership along seven dimensions of servant leadership:
Values People, Develops People, Builds Community, Displays Authenticity,
ProvidesLeadership, Shares Leadership, and Job Satisfaction. A total of 92
employees participated in this research. Employees represented in this sample
included 33 full-time faculty, 23 corporate staff, 28 support staff, and eight
administrators.
Educators agreed that servant leadership is being practiced on the campus. Job
satisfaction was rated the dimension of servant leadership most highly perceived by
educators. It had less of an effect on how servant leadership was displayed when
including all seven dimensions of servant leadership. Results support development
of programming on a university-wide basis as a method of enriching the potential for
behaviors to be displayed in the specific areas of Develops People, Displays
Authenticity, and Shares Leadership. Results of the study involving staff showed an
average agreement that servant leadership is being practiced on the campus. Staff
perceived a need to further Develop People. Staff also perceived a need to further
develop skills in Shares Leadership. Results from these studies indicated that length
of employment did not significantly impact perceptions of servant leadership.
Results of this research suggest that servant leadership is perceivable and can be
measured by members of an organization. However, professional development
opportunities requiring collaboration and relationship building would potentially
enhance further development in dimensions of servant leadership.

SUBJECT(S)
Descriptor: EDUCATION, HIGHER
Accession AAI3199527
No:
Database: Dissertations
Title: Servant leadership and the effectiveness of teams
Author(s): Irving, Justin A.
j-irving@bethel.edu
Instructor of Ministry Leadership - Bethel Seminary
Degree: Ph.D.
Year: 2005
Pages: 00099
Institution: Regent University; 1058
Advisor: Adviser Bruce E. Winston
Source: DAI, 66, no. 04A (2005): p. 1421
Standard ISBN: 0-542-09714-1
No:
Abstract: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between
servant leadershipand the effectiveness of teams. While Greenleaf's (1977) seminal
work on servantleadership has led to a growing body of literature surrounding the
construct; up to this point, very little has been done to investigate what effect
servant leadership behaviors have on the effectiveness of teams. In tight of this void
in the literature, the present study sought to answer the research question: Is there
a relationship between servantleadership and team effectiveness? by conducting
an empirical study in a U.S. division of an international nonprofit organization. The
data collected were gathered using three instruments:
(a) The Organizational Leadership Assessment (Laub, 1999); (b) The
Servant Leadership Assessment Instrument (Dennis, 2004); and (c) The Team
Effectiveness Questionnaire (Larson & LaFasto, 1989). These instruments provided
data around the following variables: (a) servant leadership at
the organizational level; (b) job satisfaction at the individual participant level;
(c) team effectiveness at the team level; and the servant leadership variables of
(d) love, (e) empowerment, (f) vision, (g) humility, and (h) trust at the individual
leader level. Pearson r correlation analyses were used to examine the relationship
between team effectiveness and the other variables associated with
servant leadership and job satisfaction. A statistically significant and positive
correlation was found for each of the variables associated with
servant leadership and job satisfaction when analyzed in reference to team
effectiveness.
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SUBJECT(S)
Descriptor: BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION, MANAGEMENT
Accession AAI3173207
No:
Database: Dissertations

Title:

Called to serve: Servant-leadership perceptions at a Franciscansponsored university correlated with job satisfaction

Author(s): Van Tassell, Malachi

Degree: Ph.D.
Year: 2006
Pages: 00108
Institution: Capella University; 1351
Advisor: Adviser James Cook
Source: DAI, 67, no. 08A (2006): p. 2843
Standard ISBN: 978-0-542-81263-7
No:
Abstract: The call to serve is an important dimension of Franciscan leadership. This study
sought to determine to what extent, if any, servant-leadership is perceived at a
Franciscan-sponsored university. In February, 2006, Laub's
(1999) Organizational LeadershipAssessment (OLA) and Bowling Green
University's (1997) Job Descriptive Index (JDI) were administered to the staff of a
liberal-arts, private, Franciscan-sponsored university to measure servantleadership perceptions and job satisfaction. The results of the OLA were stratified by
job classification as well as by division of the university. Differences in servantleadership perceptions were found amongst the various job classifications and
divisions. The results of the OLA were further correlated with the results of the Job
in General (JIG) subset of the JDI to see what type of linear relationship, if any,
existed. A moderate, positive linear relationship between servantleadership perceptions and job satisfaction was found.
SUBJECT(S)
Descriptor: EDUCATION, ADMINISTRATION
EDUCATION, RELIGIOUS
EDUCATION, HIGHER
Accession AAI3229492
No:
Database: Dissertations

Title:

Perceptions of the evidence of a servant leadership culture

among educators in the P--12 school system in the North
American Division of Seventh-day Adventists

Author(s): Ross, Donovan B.

Degree: Ph.D.
Year: 2006
Pages: 00134
Institution: Andrews University; 0443
Advisor: Adviser Hinsdale Bernard
Source: DAI, 67, no. 09A (2006): p. 3256
Standard ISBN: 978-0-542-87414-7
No:
Abstract: Problem statement. The Seventh-day Adventist church has consistently advocated
that adherents to this religion should be Christ-like in every aspect of their lives.
They should be of service to others as they create a community of believers who
are loving, kind, and considerate of others. These ideals form some of the
characteristics of servantleadership. The question therefore is whether
servant leadership is being practiced in the P-12 school system. No study related to
the presence and practice of servant leadershipin the P-12 school system of the
NAD has been conducted. Research was needed to determine the perceptions of
the evidence of servant leadership and the possible impact of gender, age, ethnic
background, the size of the school in which the respondents worked, the gender of
the principal, the respondents' level of education, the configuration of school
operation, and the type of SDA teaching certification that the respondents held.
Methodology. A descriptive, explorative, cross-sectional survey was conducted.
Participants in this study were selected by stratified random sampling from a
population of 6,697 educators employed in the P-12 school system of the North
American Division of Seventh-day Adventists. Data were collected using
the Organizational LeadershipAssessment and a demographic questionnaire that
were mailed to 1,110 educators with a response rate of 33.4%. Two research
questions and eight null hypotheses were tested. The first research question was
analyzed using descriptive statistics and a comparison of means. The null
hypotheses and remaining research question were tested at the .05 level of
significance using one-way ANOVA.
Results. Laub contends that organizations at or above a 4.0 composite mean score
on the OLA can be identified as a servant organization. The composite means of all
scores on this survey was found to be 3.91 which are very close to the Laub
threshold score of 4.0. This would seem to indicate that the P-12 school system of
the North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists is not a fully servant
organization, but instead practices a positive version of paternalistic leadership. The
results also indicated that there is a difference in how educators perceive the
attributes of servant leadership based on the gender of the educator as well as the
enrollment and configuration of school operation in which the educator works.
However, there is no difference in how educators' perceive the attributes based on
age, ethnic background, gender of the principal, the educators' level of education,

as well as the SDA teaching certification.

SUBJECT(S)
Descriptor: BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION, MANAGEMENT
EDUCATION, ADMINISTRATION
Accession AAI3234103
No:
Database: Dissertations
Title: Servant leadership in public schools: A case study
Author(s): Anderson, Jason D.
janderson@spsmail.org
Truman Elementary - 3850 N. Farm Rd. 159 - Springfield, MO, 65803 -- 417-5235100
Degree: Ed.D.
Year: 2006
Pages: 00122
Institution: University of Missouri - Columbia; 0133
Advisor: Adviser Barbara N. Martin
Source: DAI, 67, no. 11A (2006): p. 4043
Standard ISBN: 978-0-542-97398-7
No:
Abstract: The purpose of this mixed-design study was to examine a servant leader's impact
on a public education (K-12) organization by identifying and articulating specific
leadership behaviors, and the influence of those behaviors upon the organization in
its entirety and the individuals within the school organization.
In this study, the researcher administered the Organizational Leadership
Assessment (OLA) (Laub, 1998) to staff members in one Midwest, rural public
school district. Responses were analyzed based on the sub-scales of the
inventory: Values & Develops People, Displays Authenticity, Builds Community,
and Provides & Shares Leadership. Data analysis revealed through rank order that
the behavior of Provides & SharesLeadershipwas the highest ranking practice of the
servant leader. The practices of Builds Community and Displays Authenticity were
ranked second and third, respectively. The practice of Values & Develops
People was ranked as the lowest servant leader behavior.
Interviews, observations, and document(s) collection provided the qualitative data
which revealed how servant leadership is defined in a public education setting, and
what servant leadership looks like. The themes of defining the organization through
process, connecting to purpose and people, power with versus power over,
and walking the talkemerged through amalgamation of data.
This study confirmed that a servant leader's behavior positively impacts the health
of the school organization, and the extent the servant leadership behaviors
influence the organization and individuals within.
SUBJECT(S)
Descriptor: EDUCATION, ADMINISTRATION
Accession AAI3242054
No:
Database: Dissertations

tle:

A Study of the Church Staff Organization's Servant Leadership

Tendency and Job Satisfaction of the Pastor and of another
Ministerial Staff Person in Southern Baptist Convention Churches
in Tarrant County, Texas

Author(s):

Kong, Paul
p-kong@sbcglobal.net -- 817-456-2007
8309 Hearthstone Ct, Fort Worth, TX, 76123
Degree:
Year:

Ph.D.
2007

Pages:
Institution:
Advisor:

Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary

Dr. Bob Welch

Source:
Standard
No:
Abstract:

PROBLEM: The three-fold problem of this study was (1) to determine

the relationship between the pastors perception of the organizational
servant leadership tendency within his church staff team and his job
satisfaction; (2) to determine the relationship between the ministers
perception of the organizational servant leadership tendency within his
or her church staff team and his or her job satisfaction; and (3) to
determine the difference in their perceptions concerning the
organizational servant leadership tendency within their same church
staff team between the pastor and the minister in Southern Baptist
Convention (SBC) churches in Tarrant County, Texas.
PROCEDURES: An introductory letter was mailed to the pastor and
another ministerial staff person in each of the identified 145 multi-staff
SBC churches in Tarrant County, Texas on 16 January 2007. The first
survey packet with the Organizational Leadership Assessment (OLA)
and the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ short-form) was
sent to them two days later. A thank you postcard followed one week
after that. On 13 February 2007 the second survey packet was sent to

the pastors and ministers of qualified churches who had not yet
responded. The last follow-up letter without survey packet was mailed
three weeks later, and the data collection ended on 17 March 2007. A
total of 102 potential and qualified churches were sent packets. Return
rates of the pastor and the minister groups were 70.6% (72/102) and
71.6% (73/102), respectively. Pearsons r and a t-test for independent
samples were conducted for testing hypotheses, utilizing SPSS 14.0.
FINDINGS AND CONCLUSION: There was a significant, positive
relationship between the pastors perception of the organizational
servant leadership tendency within his church staff team and his job
satisfaction in SBC churches in Tarrant County, Texas (n=72, r=.577,
p<.0005,
1-tailed). There was also a significant, positive relationship between
the ministers perception of the organizational servant leadership
tendency within his or her church staff team and his or her job
satisfaction in SBC churches in Tarrant County, Texas (n=73, r=.650,
p<.0005, 1-tailed). Thirdly, there was a significant difference in their
perceptions concerning the organizational servant leadership tendency
within their same church staff team between the pastor and the
minister with the pastor perceiving higher in SBC churches in Tarrant
County, Texas [t(130)=2.585, p=.0055, 1-tailed, 2=.049; the OLA
M=260 and 248, respectively].
In conclusion, pastors and ministers who perceived higher,
organizational servant leadership tendencies within their church staff
teams seemed to have greater satisfaction with their ministries and
vice versa in SBC churches in Tarrant County, Texas. Also, there
seemed to be a moderate discrepancy between the two groups
concerning the organizational servant leadership tendency within their
same church staff teams in SBC churches in Tarrant County, Texas.

Title:

A Correlational Study of Servant Leadership and Elementary

Principal Job Satisfaction in Ohio Public School Districts

Author(s):

Svoboda, Sandra
Degree:
Year:
Pages:
Institution:
Advisor:
Source:
Standard
No:

Ed.D.
2008
125
Northcentral University
Wendy E. Lambert
DAI-A 69/04, Oct 2008
Publication #: AAT 3310169
ISBN: 9780549585138

Abstract:

The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to determine

the strength of correlation between the perceived presence of servant
leadership and elementary principal job satisfaction in Ohio public
school districts. Principals are leaving the administrative profession
before retirement at distressing rates. Further research is needed to
identify approaches that would increase principal job satisfaction
rates. Positive relationships have been found between servant
leadership and job satisfaction (Anderson, 2005; Drury, 2005; Girard,
2000; Hebert, 2004; Laub, 1999; Miears, 2005; Rude, 2006; Stramba,
2003; Strickland, 2006; Thompson, 2004; VanTassell, 2007).
However, servant leadership and job satisfaction research has been
very limited in public school settings (Girard, 2000; Miears, 2005;
Rude, 2006). Therefore, this study was intended to answer the
research questions: (a) To what extent do public school districts
in Ohio implement the principles of servant leadership, and (b) to what
extent does the level of servant leadership revealed inOhio public
school districts correlate with Ohio elementary principals level of job
satisfaction? Laubs (1999) Organizational Leadership Assessment
Educational Version was used to survey 25 superintendents, 38
elementary principals, and 475 elementary teachers. A systematic

random sample was conducted in Ohio public schools. Participation

rates were as follows: 89.3% superintendents, 77.6% elementary
principals, and 38.6% elementary teachers. A significant positive
correlation of r = .889, p < .01 (two-tailed) was found between the
perceived level of servant leadership present in Ohio public schools
and the perceived level of elementary principal job satisfaction. The
significant positive correlation revealed in this study indicated the
higher level of servant leadership perceived in Ohio public schools,
the higher the level of perceived elementary principal job satisfaction.
Based on the strong positive correlation revealed in this study, servant
leadership appears to be an approach worth further exploration to
counter the exodus of principals leaving the field of educational
administration.
SUBJECT(S)
Descriptor:

Keywords: Elementary Principal, Ohio, Principal, Servant Leadership,

Servant Leader, Job Satisfaction, Public Schools, Organizational
Leadership Assessment (OLA)

Accession
No:
Database:

Title:

ProQuest document ID: 1537009591

Employee Perception of Servant Leadership and Job Satisfaction in

a Call Center: A Correlational Study

Author(s):

Chu, Hai-Wen
hw_chu@hotmail.com
Degree:

Ph.D

Year:

2008

Pages:
Institution:
Advisor:

172
University of Phoenix
Dr. Carol Himelhoch.

Source:
Abstract:

Current servant leadership studies have supported positive

influences of servant
leadership on individuals job satisfaction in a variety of
organizations, but there is a lack
of empirical research in call centers. The purpose of this
quantitative correlational
research study was to explore any relationship between

employees perception of servant

leadership and job satisfaction at a call center. Results indicated
that in the call center,
servant leadership was positively correlated to individuals job
satisfaction. There were
no significant statistical differences when controlling the factors
of gender, seniority, and
job position, but education level and licensure requirement did
impact employees
perceptions of servant leadership principles and job satisfaction.

Title:

An Exploratory Study of Servant Leadership, Emotional Intelligence,

and Job Satisfaction Among High-Tech Employees

Author(s):

Regina Johnson
lrjohnson@email.phoenix.edu 602-231-2772
Degree:
Year:
Pages:
Institution:
Advisor:

Doctoral
2008
113
University of Phoenix
Dr. James Moon

Source:
Standard No:
Abstract:

The empirical data collected during this study supports the idea that the
practice of servant leadership principles can increase the health of an
organization. Additional empirical research is giving support and creditability
to the servant leadership theory. The purpose of this quantitative, correlational
study was to examine if a relationship exists among servant leadership,
emotional intelligence, and job satisfaction among high-tech employees in the
aerospace industry. The results of this study indicated a strong positive
significant correlation between the six constructs of servant leadership and job
satisfaction as measured by the Organization Leadership Assessment (OLA).
The empirical data collected during the present study indicated a strong
positive relationship and could be used to develop leadership training programs
based on servant leadership principles, establish the importance of servant
leadership regardless of the industry type, and remove the barriers that impede

the practice of servant leadership. The findings of this study presented no

significant relationship between servant leadership and emotional intelligence
and no significant relationship between emotional intelligence and job
satisfaction. This study could serve as a guide to refining or giving direction to
future attempts to investigate similar issues.

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SUBJECT(S)
Descriptor:
Accession
No:
Database:

Title:
Author(s):
Degree:

A Correlational Study of Servant Leadership and Registered Nurse

Job Satisfaction in Acute Healthcare Settings
Carol Amadeo
Ed.D.

Year:

2008

Pages:

171

Institution:
Advisor:

University of Phoenix
Todd Weber

Source:
Standard No:
Abstract:

Health-care leaders must address registered nurse job dissatisfaction in acute

health-care settings to mitigate the critical nursing shortage. This quantitative
research study with a correlational design determined (a) the extent that RNs
perceive servant leadership behaviors in nonprofit, acute health-care settings,
and (b) the relationship between perceptions of servant leadership behaviors
and individual job satisfaction. A stratified sample of 313 RNs from two
nonprofit acute care hospitals in the northwestern U.S. completed the
Organizational Leadership Assessment (OLA) instrument. Results indicate a
strong correlation between perceptions of servant leadership behaviors and RN
job satisfaction in acute health-care settings. Implications for leadership
include recruiting and developing servant-minded nurse leaders who can create
a caring and satisfying servant-minded nursing practice culture.

SUBJECT(S)
Descriptor: Nursing, Leadership, Healthcare
Accession
No:
Database:

ProQuest Dissertations