The role of servant leadership, self-efficacy, high performance work systems, and work engagement in increasing service-oriented behavior

Abstract

By integrating job demand-resources and social learning theories, the mediation effects of work engagement between servant leadership and service-oriented behavior; and moderating effects of self-efficacy and high-performance work systems (HPWS) on the connection between servant leadership and work engagement were examined. Partial least squares was applied to analyze survey data of 381 customer-contact hotel employees from three cities in Cambodia. Servant leaders have a positive and significant influence on employee-level service-oriented behavior directly and indirectly via work engagement. Both HPWS and self-efficacy significantly and positively moderates the association of servant leadership and work engagement. Overall, findings indicated the importance of servant leadership, engaged employees, HPWS, and self-efficacy in fostering service-oriented behavior. The novelty of this study is the extension of job demand-resources and social learning theories by investigating the mediating role of work engagement and the combined moderating role of HPWS and self-efficacy. Practical and theoretical implications are described.