(The Mediating Role of Organizational Justice in the Effect of Servant Leadership on Organizational Identification)

Abstract

Purpose – This research has been carried out to determine the effect of servant leadership behaviors exhibited by the leaders in the service sector on organizational identification and organizational justice and the mediating role of organizational justice between these two variables. Design/methodology/approach – The sample of the study consisted of 750 participants in the service sector in Istanbul, Kocaeli, Yalova and Bursa. The questionnaire was distributed to the employees in person and some of them were sent via e-mail and online survey system. The collected data was analysed by frequency, reliability, correllation, confirmative factor analyzes and also structural equation modelling. Findings – The findings indicate that servant leadership is positively correlated with organizational identification and organizational justice. In addition, organizational justice has a mediating role in the relationship between servant leadership and organizational identification. It was evaluated that the research will contribute to the studies conducted on the service sector and will give insight to researchers and managers about servant leadership, organizational identification and organizational justice levels. Discussion – The relationship between servant leadership and organizational justice was found to be stronger than the relationship between servant leadership and organizational identification. In the study, it was determined that organizational justice has a partial mediator effect in the relationship between servant leadership and organizational identification. In order to generalize the results of the research which is limited to the data obtained from 750 people working in the service sector, it has been suggested to make similar studies on larger sample groups and compare the results.