Servant Leadership, Organisational Citizenship Behavior and Creativity: The Mediating Role of Team-Member Exchange

Authors

Winifrida Malingumu KULeuven, BE, and The Open University of Tanzania
Jeroen Stouten KULeuven
Martin Euwema KULeuven
Emmanuel Babyegeya The Open University of Tanzania

DOI:

Keywords:

Servant Leadership, OCB, Creativity, TMX

Abstract

Using a multi-source field study design with 184 unique triads of employees-supervisor dyads, this paper examines whether servant leaders install a serving attitude among employees. That is, servant leaders aim to encourage employees to take responsibility, to cooperate and to create high quality interactions with each other (team-member exchange; TMX). We hypothesise that servant leadership will have an influence on Organisational Citizenship Behavior (OCB) and creativity through team-member exchange. Two facets of OCB are distinguished: organisational citizenship behaviour towards individuals (OCBI), on the one hand, and taking up extra tasks that benefit the organisation (OCBO), on the other hand. The results show that servant leadership is positively related to team-member exchange, and that team-member exchange is positively related to OCBI, OCBO and creativity. The bootstrapping estimates indicated significant indirect effects of servant leadership on the three target variables through team-member exchange. The study’s findings add to the body of literature on servant leadership, OCB and creativity at the workplace, and underline the importance of creating favourable working conditions that foster positive and high quality team-member exchange. This study also broadens our understanding on the importance of co-workers on the relation between servant leadership and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) and creativity.

Author Biography

Winifrida Malingumu, KULeuven, BE, and The Open University of Tanzania

WINFRIDA MKINGA MALINGUMU, THE OPEN UNIVERSITY OF TANZANIA, P.O.BOX 23409, DAR ES SALAAM, TANZANIA, MOBILE +255656 444247, EMAIL: wimnyamka@yahoo.co.uk/winfrida.malingumu@out.ac.tz, Skype name: winfrida.malingumu1 I Winfrida Saimon Malingumu, have been working at the Open University of Tanzania since 2007. A major part of my work experience is university teaching, research and consultancy for 7 years. As a tutor, I have participated in writing study materials which are used by students from the Open University of Tanzania. Moreover, I have been serving for the South African Development Community Centre (SADC) on the Specialization in Teacher Education under the Open University of Tanzania as an Associate Coordinator since September, 2009. During this time I participated in a number of activities including preparing reports (quarterly and annual) and working documents (Rolling Strategic Plan, Action Plan, Budget, brochures, banners) for the Centre. I organized several workshops such as Monitoring and Evaluation for Centre’s activities; I have also participated at the evaluation process of Centre’s activities (Mid-term Evaluation and Summative Evaluation. Under this period I participated in the developing of Monitoring and Evaluation tools and report writing following SADC guidelines as outlined in the MoU signed with the same secretariat. The most significant evaluation and quality evaluation report I have conducted include 1) 2014 – Midterm Evaluation Report for the Centre of Specialization in ODL (Teacher Education), 15- 23 January 2014 (mainly on Centers performances, compliance to the MoU). 2). 2014 - Summative Evaluation Report for the Centre of Specialization in ODL (Teacher Education), 08 -10 August 2014. (Leaner’s and Facilitators Experience for Centers sustainability, achievement, and failures). This experience was built from my Master’s thesis entitled “2008 - Management of School Feeding Project for Enhanced Performance: A Case of Tanzania Primary School Masters at the University of Dar es Salaam Currently, I am pursuing my Doctoral research entitled “Servant Leadership as a Driver of Constructive Conflict Management in Organizations: A Case of Belgium and Tanzania” at KULeuven University in Belgium and The Open University of Tanzania in a sandwich model since November, 2012 to date. I have been closely working with my promoters from both universities i.e. Prof. Dr. Jeroen Stouten and Prof. Dr. Martin Euwema - KU Leuven University, and Prof. Emmanuel Babyegeya of the Open University of Tanzania where I am serving as an employee.

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Published

2016-10-19

Issue

Vol. 56 No. 4 (2016)

Section

Research Article

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