Research 2nd individual assignment
Mulugeta Antewa
ID MBA/195/14
SECTION TWO
Introduction
I am reviewing the article “Servant Leadership and Follower Job Performance: The Mediating
Effect of Public Service Motivation (2016). Public Administration Vol. 94, No. 4, 2016 (1025–
1041): John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
The material location at web is available at; doi: 10.1111/padm.12266
The article was written by Gary Schwarz, SOAS University of London: Alexander Newman,
Deakin University, Australia: Brian Cooper, Monash University, Australia: Nathan Eva, Monash
University, Australia.
As the title implies the article deals with the mediating effect of Public service motivation in the
relation ship of servant leadership and followers job performance. PSM is one that has taken as
effective mechanism in mediating servant leadership and followers job performance in the
current difficult operating environments of public service organizations, which due to the
dynamic and changing nature of the environment, public service organizations need to achieve
their objectives is depends on their leaders that influences their followers job performance.
The primary purpose of the study is to widen our understanding of the effects of servant leadership
on followers’ public service motivation (PSM) and job performance. The reason to conduct the
study is Servant leaders who set aside their self-interest are particularly important for the Chinese
government, given that rampant corruption has led to the arrest of several high-profile civil
servants and the incarceration of thousands of other employees who have damaged the legitimacy
of one-party rule (Dong et al. 2010). To solve these issues, the article examined the mechanisms
that link servant leadership to job performance in the public sector which prior studies haven’t
examined it before. Moreover, previous studies have not analyzed whether servant leadership can
be utilized to elicit higher levels of PSM amongst public sector employees.
The methods of the study Utilizes three waves of multi-source and multilevel data from a Chinese
government agency, the study examines whether followers’ PSM acts as an instrument that links
servant leadership to the job performance of followers. The study applied social learning theory
that stresses the importance of role modelling by the leader as a central process through which
social influence occurs in the workplace, and the authors propose that servant leadership will lead
followers to exhibit higher levels of PSM. and, that this behavior in turn will lead followers to
focus on serving the needs of those both inside and outside the organization and exhibit higher
levels of job performance accordingly. This review assignment covers the summary of the original
article, critiques of the group, comment of the group on the article and conclusion and
recommendations as well.
Summary of the article
The writers first concern is reviewing about literatures on servant leadership and PSM in light of
the current Chinese institutional environment before developing the hypotheses. They also clearly
state how the data were collected and analyzed in the methodology part of the article. for example,
it states where the data collection is and how sample technique used; it detailed the measuring
techniques and how the results were done for each variables of Servant leadership, PSM, and Job
performance; and it also states clearly its methods of analysis, for example, to test the hypotheses,
they conducted multi-level modelling with random intercepts. To facilitate the interpretation of the
effect size, all of the variables were z-standardized prior to analysis. Then, based on the collected
data the results of the study which is consistent with the theoretical predictions that altruistic
behaviors reflected by servant leader elicits higher level of altruistic PSM, which in turn increase
gob performance is well clarified with figures and tables with models by conducting a
confirmatory factor analysis using LISREL 8.80 to establish the discriminant validity of the study
measures, Aggregation tests to find The inter-rater reliability values, and Multi-level modelling to
teste the hypothesized relationships. both hypotheses are found supported; Hypothesis 1 predicted
that servant leadership will be positively related to follower PSM and, Hypothesis 2 predicted that
PSM will mediate the relationship between servant leadership and follower job performance.
Finally, it discusses the theoretical ie social learning theory (Bandura 1977), the study establishes
that servant leadership influences the job performance of Chinese public sector employees by
enhancing their PSM. and, practical implications of the study demonstrated that to foster higher
levels of PSM in employees and enhance their job performance, Chinese public organizations
should consider identifying and promoting servant leaders. (P.11). and at last it concludes with
potential areas for future research.
Conclusion
The authors concluded that either theoretically or empirically it is a study that proves Servant
leaderships roles and behaviors have been shown across multiple studies and countries to be a
predictor of positive employee and organizational outcomes across cultures and contexts. Recent
research suggests that these servant leadership dimensions are increasingly being practiced in the
Chinese public sector. And as Zhang and Zhou. (2010 as sited in the paper) Civil Service Law
should state that all civil servants should be trained on the job for updated knowledge and skill
improvements, which is compatible with the dimensions of helping subordinates grow and
succeed and having conceptual skills.
Critical evaluation the study
In sight of my observations, I checked across the article and I found that the purpose of the study
and intended audience, authority and credibility, accuracy and reliability, currency and
timeliness, and objectivity are all met that I could say it is a good and complete article. And, it
makes a good practical contribution in addition to a theoretical contribution by establishing the
social learning processes that link servant leadership to job performance. The article clearly
informs the reader its intended aim. It puts its suggestions in the area for future researchers.
In the other dimension of the article I noticed as limitations are; the study usefulness is limited to
government agencies only, there is no way out suggested to make it validate in divergent
contexts. it only considers the altruistic behavior of servant leadership where there are other
behaviors of servant leadership; the research also has limitations regarding its generalizability,
given that it was conducted in only one government agency in a collectivistic cultural context.
A further limitation comes from the fact that our article focuses on the individual level of
analysis. individual actions only may not cause of institutional change. mechanisms and
leadership autonomy for servant leadership to emerge and fully achieve its effects.