Servant Leadership in the Service Sector: Linkages with Employee Motivation and Retention

The study focuses on the analysis of characteristics of servant leadership in an organization and reveals the linkage of servant leadership and employees’ motivation and retention. The aim of the study is to investigate the linkages between servant leadership and employees’ motivation and retention in the service sector. The aim outlines the tasks oriented toward the assessment of motivation value when servant leadership is introduced; analysis of the effects of servant leadership on employees’ retention; and description of servant leadership during times of uncertainty and increased turbulence. Studying the linkage of servant leadership with employees’ motivation and retention we employed both qualitative and quantitative methods of investigation. For this research, we selected 238 employees of service-oriented companies from six regions of Ukraine. They were males and females and differed in age, educational background, job experience, and salary. The data were collected through face-to-face interviews between March 17 and August 22, 2023. The results showed that the implementation of servant leadership in a service-oriented company positively affects employees’ motivation and retention. Also, servant leadership is linked to the company’s success and sustainability during times of uncertainty and increased turbulence. In the service sector, servant leadership is introduced in three levels: individual level, team level, and company level. Each level is characterized by a number of descriptors that optimize servant leadership and contribute to the company's success and employees’ satisfaction. The results may be used by company leaders and owners who are involved in service industries. Also, the findings may improve the process of future managers’ training.