Abstract
This chapter presents servant leadership and employees’ well-being demonstrated as a workplace of passionate, peaceful, and productive people. Passionate includes a combination of person-organization fit in which employees’ workplace values align with the organization’s values and person-job fit in which the employee feels a sense of “calling” to engage in the assigned work and for the internal and external clients that the employee feels called to serve and a match between the employees’ knowledge, skills, and abilities with what the job requires. These two concepts relate to W. E. Deming’s comment that people want “joy” in their work. Peaceful includes the employees’ work-life balance, which reduces conflict between work and home. A peaceful workplace is one that is free of physical danger, emotional strife, and spiritual discrimination. The productive workplace is one in which employees are promoted to their level of competence and confidence, thus avoiding the Peter Principle. Employees receive education and training commensurate with the organizational leaders’ and the employees’ work goals. Rest, sabbaticals, and lateral transfers are used to help maintain high levels of readiness and motivation.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Albert, J., & Spears, L. C. (2012). The promised land: Robert Greenleaf, Bruce Springsteen, and servant-leadership. The International Journal of Servant-Leadership, 8/9(1), 453–473. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2015.11.011
Arnott, D. (2000). Corporate cults: The insidious lure of the all-consuming organization. American Management Association.
Avolio, B. J., & Gardner, W. L. (2005). Authentic leadership development: Getting to the root of positive forms of leadership. The Leadership Quarterly, 16(3), 315–338. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2005.03.001
Ayala, Y., Peiró Silla, J. M., Tordera, N., Lorente, L., & Yeves, J. (2017). Job satisfaction and innovative performance in young Spanish employees: Testing new patterns in the happy-productive worker thesis – A discriminant study. Journal of Happiness Studies, 18(5), 1377–1401. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-016-9778-1
Ayoko, O. B. (2016). Workplace conflict and willingness to cooperate. International Journal of Conflict Management, 27(2), 172–198. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCMA-12-2014-0092
Barbuto, J. E., & Wheeler, D. W. (2006). Scale development and construct clarification of servant leadership. Group & Organization Management, 31(3), 300–326.
Bass, B. M. (2000). The future of leadership in learning organizations. Journal of Leadership Studies, 7(3), 18–40.
Beauregard, T. A., & Henry, L. C. (2009). Making the link between work-life balance practices and organizational performance. Human Resource Management Review, 19(1), 9–22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrmr.2008.09.001
Bird, H. (2008). Articulating the value of training: Linking training programs to organizational goals. Development and Learning in Organizations: An International Journal, 22(2), 20–23. https://doi.org/10.1108/14777280810850705
Black, J., & La Venture, K. L. (2017). The human factor to profitability: People-centered cultures as meaningful organizations. Journal of Organizational Psychology, 17(2), 24–34. http://www.na-businesspress.com/jopopen.html
Bowen, B., Privitera, M. R., & Bob, V. B. (2011). Reducing workplace violence by creating healthy workplace environments. Journal of Aggression, Conflict and Peace Research, 3(4), 185–198. https://doi.org/10.1108/17596591111187710
Cain, L., Busser, J., & Kang, H. J. (2018). Executive chefs’ calling: Effect on engagement, work-life balance and life satisfaction. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 30(5), 2287–2307. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-02-2017-0105
Campione, W. A. (2015). Corporate offerings: Why aren’t millennials staying? The Journal of Applied Business and Economics, 17(4), 60.
Chan, S. C., & Mak, W. (2012). Benevolent leadership and follower performance: The mediating role of leader-member exchange (LMX): APJM. Asia Pacific Journal of Management, 29(2), 285–301. http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.regent.edu/10.1007/s10490-011-9275-3
Chou, W. (2002). The transformation of industrial authority and paternalistic capitalism in the global economy: Case studies of Taiwan’s textiles industries. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 13(3), 550–568.
Chuang, A., Shen, C., & Judge, T. A. (2016). Development of a multi-dimensional instrument of person–environment fit: The perceived person–environment fit scale (PPEFS). Applied Psychology: An International Review, 65(1), 66–98. https://doi.org/10.1111/apps.12036
Collins, J. (2001). Good to great. Why some companies make the leap...And others don’t. Harper Business.
Cutcher-Greshenfeld, J. (2006). The human side of enterprise: Annotated edition. McGraw-Hill Companies.
Deming, W. E. (2000). The new economics (2nd ed.). The MIT Press.
Dickson-Swift, V., Fox, C., Marshall, K., Welch, N., & Willis, J. (2014). What really improves employee health and well-being. International Journal of Workplace Health Management, 7(3), 138–155. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJWHM-10-2012-0026
Fredrickson, B. L., & Losada, M. F. (2005). Positive affect and the complex dynamics of human flourishing. American Psychologist, 60(7), 678–686. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.60.7.678
Giulioni, J. W. (2022). Promotions are so yesterday: Redefine career development. Help employees thrive. Association for Talent Development.
Gravador, L. N., & Teng-Calleja, M. (2018). Work-life balance crafting behaviors: An empirical study. Personnel Review, 47(4), 786–804. https://doi.org/10.1108/PR-05-2016-0112
Greenleaf, R. (1977). Servant leadership: A journey into the nature of legitimate power and greatness – 25th anniversary edition (kindle). Paulist.
Gubler, T., Larkin, I., & Pierce, L. (2018). Doing well by making well: The impact of corporate wellness programs on employee productivity. Management Science, 64(11), 4967–4987. https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2017.2883
Hall, A. (2016). Exploring the workplace communication preferences of millennials. Journal of Organizational Culture, Communications and Conflict, 20(SI 1), 35–44. https://www.abacademies.org/journals/journal-of-organizational-culture-communications-and-conflict-home.html
Hanaysha, J. (2016). Improving employee productivity through work engagement: Evidence from higher education sector. Management Science Letters, 6(1), 61–70. https://doi.org/10.5267/j.msl.2015.11.006
Harris, E. G. (2020). Another look at frontline employee productivity propensity: A job demands – Resources approach. Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, 28(3), 318–329. https://doi.org/10.1080/10696679.2020.1763810
Hershatter, A., & Epstein, M. (2010). Millennials and the world of work: An organization and management perspective. Journal of Business and Psychology, 25(2), 211–223. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-010-9160-y
Hess, H. (2011). Journey to the east. Martino Fine Books.
Hills, L. (2017). Ten ways to reduce workplace drama. The Journal of Medical Practice Management: MPM, 33(1), 19–23. https://greenbranch.com
Hirschy, M. J. J. (2012). Servant leadership in China: An exploration of servant leadership, humane orientation, and confucian doctrine of Jen (Order no. 3515408). Available from Dissertations & Theses @ Regent University. (1022632105). http://eres.regent.edu/login?url=https://www-proquest-com.ezproxy.regent.edu/dissertations-theses/servant-leadership-china-exploration-humane/docview/1022632105/se-2?accountid=13479
Holt, S., Marques, J., & Way, D. (2012). Bracing for the millennial workforce: Looking for ways to inspire generation Y. Journal of Leadership, Accountability and Ethics, 9(6), 81.
Howell, A., Kirk-Brown, A., & Cooper, B. K. (2012). Does congruence between espoused and enacted organizational values predict affective commitment in Australian organizations? International Journal of Human Resource Management, 23(4), 731–747. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2011.561251
Jenkins, M. (2011). Practice note: Is mediation suitable for complaints of workplace bullying? Conflict Resolution Quarterly, 29(1), 25–38. https://doi.org/10.1002/crq.21035
Jiang, K., Hong, Y., McKay, P. F., Avery, D. R., Wilson, D. C., & Volpone, S. D. (2015). Retaining employees through anti–sexual harassment practices: Exploring the mediating role of psychological distress and employee engagement. Human Resource Management, 54(1), 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1002/hrm.21585
Ju, D., Qin, X., Xu, M., & Direnzo, M. S. (2016). Boundary conditions of the emotional exhaustion-unsafe behavior link: The dark side of group norms and personal control. Asia Pacific Journal of Management, 33(1), 113–140. http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.regent.edu:2048/10.1007/s10490-015-9455-7
Kahn, W. A. (1990). Psychological conditions of personal engagement and disengagement at work. Academy of Management Journal, 33(4), 692–724. https://doi.org/10.2307/256287
Kleinig, J., & Evans, N. G. (2013). Human flourishing, human dignity, and human rights. Law and Philosophy, 32(5), 539–564. http://www.jstor.org/stable/24572414
Kohila, K. R. V., Kodi, V. T., & Hemavathy, V. (2015). Occupational health versus occupational hazards. Research Journal of Pharmacy and Technology, 8(4), 486–489. https://doi.org/10.5958/0974-360X.2015.00081.5
Kolodinsky, R. W., Ritchie, W. J., & Kuna, W. A. (2018). Meaningful engagement: Impacts of a ‘calling’ work orientation and perceived leadership support. Journal of Management & Organization, 24(3), 406–423. https://doi.org/10.1017/jmo.2017.19
Kristof-Brown, A., Zimmerman, R. D., & Johnson, E. C. (2005). Consequences of individuals’ fit at work: A meta-analysis of person-job, person-organization, person-group, and person-supervisor fit. Personnel Psychology, 58(2), 281–342. Retrieved from http://eres.regent.edu:2048/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/220133810?accountid=1347
Laub, J. (2005). From paternalism to the servant organization: Expanding the organizational leadership assessment (OLA) model. The International Journal of Servant-Leadership, 1(1), 155–186.
Lazear, E. (2004). The peter principle: A theory of decline. Journal of Political Economy, 112(S1), S141–S163. https://doi.org/10.1086/379943
Li, J., Sekiguchi, T., & Qi, J. (2020). When and why skill variety influences employee job crafting: Regulatory focus and social exchange perspectives. Employee Relations, 42(3), 662–680. https://doi.org/10.1108/ER-06-2019-0240
Liden, R. C., Wayne, S. J., Zhao, H., & Henderson, D. (2008). Servant leadership: Development of a multi-dimensional measure and multi-level assessment. The Leadership Quarterly, 19(2), 161–177.
Loo, M. K. L. (2017). Spirituality in the workplace: Practices, challenges, and recommendations. Journal of Psychology and Theology, 45(3), 182–204. https://doi.org/10.1177/009164711704500303
Lorenzo, V. M. (2000). Arizmendiarrieta and the good workplace. Peace Review, 12(2), 271–276. https://doi.org/10.1080/10402650050057942
Mareus, R., Firestone, S., Patterson, K., & Winston, B. E. (2019). Exploring servant leadership in a top-down environment. Servant Leadership Theory and Practice Journal, 6(1), 53–74.
Marques, J., Dhiman, S., King, R., & Afshar, T. (2011). Toward greater spirituality in personal and professional life: The movement gains momentum during these challenging times. Organization Development Journal, 29(3), 67–85. Retrieved from http://eres.regent.edu:2048/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.regent.edu/docview/898980985?accountid=13479
Michel, J. S., Kotrba, L. M., Mitchelson, J. K., Clark, M. A., & Baltes, B. B. (2011). Antecedents of work-family conflict: A meta-analytic review. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 32(5), 689–725. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.695
Mills, C. E. (2009). Making organisational communication meaningful: Reviewing the key features of a model of sensemaking about change communication. Australian Journal of Communication, 36(2), 111–126. Retrieved from http://eres.regent.edu:2048/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.regent.edu/docview/884025477?accountid=13479
Oldham, G. R., & Hackman, J. R. (1980). Work design in the organizational context. In B. M. Staw & L. L. Cummings (Eds.), Research in organizational behavior (Vol. 2, pp. 247–278). JAI Press.
Oldham, G. R., & Hackman, J. R. (2010). Not what it was and not what it will be: The future of job design research. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 31(2/3), 463–479. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.678
Organ, D. W. (1988). Organizational citizenship behavior: The good soldier syndrome. Lexington Books.
Page, D., & Wong, P. (2000). A conceptual framework for measuring servant-leadership. In S. Adjibolosoo (Ed.), The human factor in sha** the course of history and development. University Press of America.
Parkes, L. P., & Langford, P. H. (2008). Work-life balance or work-life alignment? A test of the importance of work-life balance for employee engagement and intention to stay in organisations. Journal of Management & Organization, 14(3), 267.
Patterson, K. (2003). Servant leadership: A theoretical model. Doctoral dissertation, Retrieved from ProQuest-UMI AAT 3082719, Regent University, Virginia Beach.
Peter, L. J., & Hull, R. (2014). The Peter principle. Harper Business; Reprint edition.
Pfeffer, J., & Salancik, G. R. (1978). The external control of organizations. Harper & Row.
Podsakoff, P. M., MacKenzie, S. B., Moorman, R. H., & Fetter, R. (1990). Transformational leader behaviors and their effects on followers’ trust in leader, satisfaction, and organizational citizenship behaviors. The Leadership Quarterly, 1(2), 107–142.
Rich, B. L., Lepine, J. A., & Crawford, E. R. (2010). Job engagement: Antecedents and effects on job performance. Academy of Management Journal, 53(3), 617–635. https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2010.51468988
Rocha, R. G., & Pinheiro, P. G. (2021). Organizational spirituality: Concept and perspectives. Journal of Business Ethics, 171(2), 241–252. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-020-04463-y
Romaine, J. (2014). The Peter principle resuscitated: Are promotion systems useless? Human Resource Management Journal, 24(4), 410–423. https://doi.org/10.1111/1748-8583.12034
Ruck, K., Welch, M., & Menara, B. (2017). Employee voice: An antecedent to organisational engagement? Public Relations Review, 43(5), 904–914. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2017.04.008
Salas, E., Tannenbaum, S. I., Kraiger, K., & Smith-Jentsch, K. A. (2012). The science of training and development in organizations: What matters in practice. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 13(2), 74–101. https://doi.org/10.1177/1529100612436661
Sendjaya, S., & Sarros, J. C. (2002). Servant leadership: It’s origin, development, and application in organizations. Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies, 9(2), 57–64.
Seymour, M. A., & Geldenhuys, D. J. (2018). The impact of team dialogue sessions on employee engagement in an information and communication technology company. SA Journal of Human Resource Management, 16, 1–11. http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.regent.edu:2048/10.4102/sajhrm.v16i0.987
Silberstang, J. (1995). Does joy in work have a place on your balance sheet? The Journal for Quality and Participation, 18(7), 20.
Smidts, A., Pruyn, A., & van Riel, C. B. M. (2001). The impact of employee communication and perceived external prestige on organizational identification. The Academy of Management Journal, 44(5), 1051–1062. https://doi.org/10.2307/3069448
Sobo, E. J., & Sadler, B. L. (2002). Improving organizational communication and cohesion in a health care setting through employee-leadership exchange. Human Organization, 61(3), 277–287. https://doi.org/10.17730/humo.61.3.fnk9rkekacak6mkx
Spears, L. (1996). Reflections on Robert K. Greenleaf and servant-leadership. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 17(7), 33–35. https://doi.org/10.1108/01437739610148367
Surawicz, C. M. (2014). J. Edward Berk distinguished lecture: Avoiding burnout: Finding balance between work and everything else. The American Journal of Gastroenterology, 109(4), 511–514. https://doi.org/10.1038/ajg.2014.44
Talukder, A. K. M., Vickers, M., & Khan, A. (2018). Supervisor support and work-life balance: Impacts on job performance in the Australian financial sector. Personnel Review, 47(3), 727–744. https://doi.org/10.1108/PR-12-2016-0314
Thompson, J. A., & Christensen, R. K. (2018). Bridging the public service motivation and calling literatures. Public Administration Review, 78(3), 444–456. https://doi.org/10.1111/puar.12913
Toth, I., Heinänen, S., & Puumalainen, K. (2021). Passionate and engaged? Passion for inventing and work engagement in different knowledge work contexts. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behaviour & Research, 27(9), 1–25. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEBR-09-2020-0632
Van der Walt, F. (2018). Workplace spirituality, work engagement and thriving at work. SA Journal of Industrial Psychology, 44, e1–e10. https://doi.org/10.4102/sajip.v44i0.1457
Vasconcelos, A. F. (2018). Workplace spirituality: Empirical evidence revisited. Management Research Review, 41(7), 789–821. https://doi.org/10.1108/MRR-07-2017-0232
Waldo, O. A., & Goldman, M. E. (2015). The 3 “Rs” – Relax, reflect, and regroup: Avoiding burnout during cardiology fellowship. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 66(11), 1303–1306. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2015.07.054
Weick, K. E. (1995). Sensemaking in organizations. Sage.
Weisbord, M. R. (1991). Productive workplaces: Organizing and managing for dignity, meaning, and community. Jossey-Bass.
Williamson, B. (2016). Internal factors that enable positive deviance to occur in leaders: A phenomenological description (order no. 10107435). Available from Dissertations & Theses @ Regent University. (1791976129). http://eres.regent.edu/login?url=https://www-proquest-com.ezproxy.regent.edu/dissertations-theses/internal-factors-that-enable-positive-deviance/docview/1791976129/se-2?accountid=13479
Winston, B., & Fields, D. (2015). Seeking and measuring the essential behaviors of servant leadership. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 36(4), 413–434.
Winston, B., Cerff, K., & Jerome, J. (2009). Different supervisory styles for different organizational levels: A phenomenological case study. International Leadership Journal., 2(1), 53–69.
Worley, D. J. (2019). Sacralizing leadership: The role of the sacred in enabling organizational sensemaking, cohesion, and identity. Leadership (London, UK), 15(5), 590–602. https://doi.org/10.1177/1742715018803253
Zadow, A. J., Dollard, M. F., Mclinton, S. S., Lawrence, P., & Tuckey, M. R. (2017). Psychosocial safety climate, emotional exhaustion, and work injuries in healthcare workplaces. Stress and Health, 33(5), 558–569. https://doi.org/10.1002/smi.2740
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2023 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this entry
Cite this entry
Winston, B.E. (2023). Servant Leadership and Employees’ Well-Being. In: Roberts, G.E. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Servant Leadership. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-01323-2_6
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-01323-2_6
Published:
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-031-01322-5
Online ISBN: 978-3-031-01323-2
eBook Packages: Business and ManagementReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Business, Economics and Social Sciences