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Manufacturing Motivation in the Mundane: Servant Leadership’s Influence on Employees’ Intrinsic Motivation and Performance

Author

Listed:
  • Chad A. Hartnell

    (Georgia State University)

  • Amanda Christensen-Salem

    (Parallax Advanced Research)

  • Fred O. Walumbwa

    (Florida International University)

  • Derek J. Stotler

    (Georgia State University)

  • Flora F. T. Chiang

    (China Europe International Business School)

  • Thomas A. Birtch

    (University of Exeter)

Abstract

The manufacturing industry faces a trend in which employees’ work processes are being redesigned into simple, repetitive tasks that maximize performance and efficiency. This neo-Tayloristic business model reduces social interactions and stifles relationship building, leading to disgruntled employees and raising questions about leaders’ moral obligation as to the mechanisms they use to enhance employees’ performance at work. As an alternative to redesigning work processes, we contend that servant leaders can enhance employees’ overall performance by cultivating positive interpersonal dynamics at work where social connectedness flourishes. Integrating insights from self-determination theory with servant leadership’s moral foundations, we investigate the degree to which servant leadership fosters two elements of a relationally supportive social context, interactional justice climate and coworker support, that facilitate its influence on followers’ intrinsic motivation and, subsequently, their voice and in-role performance. Temporally-separated data collected from a sample of 296 employees and their supervisors situated in 44 teams yielded results that support our hypotheses. Results underscore the importance of servant leadership cultivating a positive relational context to increase employees’ intrinsic motivation and improve their behaviors at work.

Suggested Citation

  • Chad A. Hartnell & Amanda Christensen-Salem & Fred O. Walumbwa & Derek J. Stotler & Flora F. T. Chiang & Thomas A. Birtch, 2023. "Manufacturing Motivation in the Mundane: Servant Leadership’s Influence on Employees’ Intrinsic Motivation and Performance," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 188(3), pages 533-552, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jbuset:v:188:y:2023:i:3:d:10.1007_s10551-023-05330-2
    DOI: 10.1007/s10551-023-05330-2
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Armin Pircher Verdorfer & Brigitte Steinheider & David Burkus, 2015. "Exploring the Socio-moral Climate in Organizations: An Empirical Examination of Determinants, Consequences, and Mediating Mechanisms," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 132(1), pages 233-248, November.
    2. Mitchell J. Neubert & Emily M. Hunter & Remy C. Tolentino, 2022. "Modeling Character: Servant Leaders, Incivility and Patient Outcomes," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 178(1), pages 261-278, June.
    3. Ünal, Ali F. & Chen, Chao C. & Xin, Katherine R., 2017. "Justice Climates and Management Team Effectiveness: The Central Role of Group Harmony," Management and Organization Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 13(4), pages 821-849, December.
    4. Ozyilmaz, Adnan & Cicek, Serpil S, 2015. "How does servant leadership affect employee attitudes, behaviors, and psychological climates in a for-profit organizational context?," Journal of Management & Organization, Cambridge University Press, vol. 21(3), pages 263-290, May.
    5. Neubert, Mitchell J. & de Luque, Mary Sully & Quade, Matthew J. & Hunter, Emily M., 2022. "Servant leadership across the globe: Assessing universal and culturally contingent relevance in organizational contexts," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 57(2).
    6. Christensen-Salem, Amanda & Zanini, Marco Tulio F. & Walumbwa, Fred O. & Parente, Ronaldo & Peat, Daniel M. & Perrmann-Graham, Jaclyn, 2021. "Communal solidarity in extreme environments: The role of servant leadership and social resources in building serving culture and service performance," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 135(C), pages 829-839.
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