The mediating role of job satisfaction in the effect of servant leadership on employee performance: A research on saving finance sector

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to analyze the mediating role of job satisfaction in the effect of servant leadership on employee performance. Design/Methodology/Approach – The population of the research consists of 7000 employees who work in savings finance sector and live in Istanbul. The sample of the study which has a correlational quantitative design was selected by the "simple random" method. A 5-point and 7-point Likert-type survey was applied to the employees. The survey consists of a demographic part and three scales: Servant leadership scale, Job satisfaction scale, Employee performance scale. Data collected from 502 employees were analyzed through SPSS 26, AMOS 26, and PROCESS MACRO statistical programs. In the study, confirmatory factor analysis, reliability and validity methods and mediator variable analysis were used to analyze the data. Findings – Servant leadership was found to have a direct significant effect on employee performance. The results of the analysis supports that servant leadership has a positive effect on job satisfaction and job satisfaction plays a mediating role in increasing employee performance. Discussion – It was concluded that the characteristics of servant leaders such as focusing on team members, trying to understand their needs, and providing support will positively affect the performance of employees by increasing their job satisfaction.