A Structural Equation Model of Servant Leadership and Innovative Behavior: The Mediating Role of Job Engagement
Keywords:
Servant Leadership, Job Engagement, Innovative Behavior, Vocational Education, GuangzhouAbstract
This study aimed to develop and validate a mediating model explaining the relationship between servant leadership and innovative behavior, with job engagement as a mediator among educational personnel in higher vocational and technical colleges in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China. A total of 310 respondents were selected using a stratified random sampling technique. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire using a five-point Likert scale. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was employed to assess construct validity and reliability, while Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used to test the hypothesized relationships and mediating effects. The results indicated that servant leadership did not have a significant direct effect on innovative behavior ( =0.123, p>.05). However, servant leadership had a significant positive effect on job engagement (
=0.080, p<.001), and job engagement significantly influenced innovative behavior (
=0.131, p< .001). Furthermore, the indirect effect of servant leadership on innovative behavior through job engagement was statistically significant (
=0.113, p<.001), indicating a full mediation effect. The structural model demonstrated a good fit with the empirical data. The findings provide important theoretical implications by supporting the mediating role of job engagement within the Job Demands–Resources (JD-R) model, explaining how servant leadership indirectly enhances innovative behavior. This study contributes to the literature by addressing empirical inconsistencies regarding the direct and indirect effects of servant leadership and extending the application of the JD-R model in the context of vocational education.
References
Alajhar, N. A., & Salam, M. A. (2022). Servant leadership and innovative work behavior: The mediating role of organizational citizenship behavior. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 12(4), 326–348.
Almazrouei, S., Bani-Melhem, S., & Mohd Shamsudin, F. (2023). How having job impact leads to employee innovative behavior: A moderated mediation model of servant leadership and work meaningfulness. International Journal of Public Sector Management, 36(4–5), 382–403.
Cheng, S., Dong, J., Sui, H., Wang, P., & Wu, S. J. (2025). A mediation analysis to detect the effects of servant leadership on teacher organizational citizenship behavior using PLS-SEM and IPMA. SAGE Open, 15(2), 21582440251335740.
Ekmekcioglu, E. B., & Öner, K. (2024). Servant leadership, innovative work behavior and innovative organizational culture: The mediating role of perceived organizational support. European Journal of Management and Business Economics, 33(3), 272–288.
Geng, B. J., & Wang, H. P. (2024). Research on the influence of undergraduates' perceived servant leadership in China: The effect of innovative atmosphere and innovative self-efficacy. Higher Education Studies, 14(1), 33–45.
Ghlichlee, B., & Motaghed Larijani, M. (2024). Servant leadership and knowledge employee performance: The mediating role of employee innovative behavior in knowledge-based firms. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 45(3), 544–558.
Iqbal, A., Ahmad, M. S., & Nazir, T. (2023). Does servant leadership predict innovative behaviour above and beyond transformational leadership? Examining the role of affective commitment and creative self-efficacy. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 44(1), 34–51.
Khattak, S. I., Khan, M. A., Ali, M. I., Khan, H. G. A., & Saeed, I. (2023). Relationship between servant leadership, leader–member exchange, organizational learning and innovative work behavior: Evidence from high-tech firms. SAGE Open, 13(4), 21582440231212267.
Musenze, I. A., Mayende, T. S., Wanyana, M., & Kasango, J. (2024). Servant leadership and innovative work behavior: The role of innovation climate using evidence from the Ugandan local government sector. Journal of Management Development, 43(6), 896–919.
Nguyen, N. T. H., Nguyen, D., Vo, N., & Tuan, L. T. (2023). Fostering public sector employees’ innovative behavior: The roles of servant leadership, public service motivation, and learning goal orientation. Administration & Society, 55(1), 30–63.
Ren, L., & Shen, H. (2024). The relationship between servant leadership and team innovation performance: Mediating effect of self-efficacy. Heliyon, 10(6), eXXXXX.
Sayadi, Y. (2025). Servant leadership on the path to organizational innovation: A psychological analysis of transformative mediating mechanisms. School Administration, 13(2), 128–146.
Shahnaz, M. (2024). The impacts of servant leadership on innovative work behaviors: The role of public service motivation and employee engagement. Journal of Chinese Human Resources Management.
Shaojin, H., Muangman, P., & Tipanark, P. (2025). Mediating effects of teachers’ job engagement on the relationship between servant leadership and teachers’ innovative behavior in higher vocational colleges in Anyang, Henan Province, China. Journal of Education Panya, 4(6), 198–210.
Worapongpat, N. (2025). Building collaboration between schools and communities: A case study of multiple schools in Luoyang District. Journal of Education and Learning Reviews, 2(3), 95–104.
Worapongpat, N., & Arunyakanon, P. (2025). Transformational leadership and change management competency in response to sudden disruptions among administrators. Journal of Education and Learning Reviews, 2(2), 47–58.
Worapongpat, N., & Kangpheng, S. (2025). Transformational leadership skills for executives in the
digital age. Journal of Education and Learning Reviews, 2(5), 27–44.
Xiao, F. X., Lin, Y., Kuang, J. F., Yang, L. L., & Wang, Q. (2025). How and when servant leadership affects public employees’ innovative behavior. Scientific Reports, 15(1), 26705.
Zeng, J., Lai, J., & Liu, X. (2022). How servant leadership motivates young university teachers’ workplace well-being: The role of occupational commitment and risk perception. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 996497.
