Work

The relationship between servant leadership and followers’ pro-social rule-breaking behavior: a study based on Chinese selected candidates

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Objective: This study explores the relationships among servant leadership, work autonomy, risk-taking willingness, public service motivation (PSM), and pro-social rule-breaking (PSRB), focusing on their underlying psychological mechanisms. Methods: A total of 679 valid responses were collected. Descriptive analyses and moderated mediation tests were performed using AMOS, SPSS, and the PROCESS macro. Results: Servant leadership showed a significant positive correlation with PSRB. Mediation analysis further indicated that work autonomy and risk-taking willingness exerted significant mediating effects. Servant leadership positively predicted work autonomy, which in turn predicted PSRB. Servant leadership negatively predicted risk-taking willingness. In turn, risk-taking willingness negatively predicted PSRB. The direct effect of servant leadership on PSRB was also significant. In addition, PSM significantly moderated the positive relationship between work autonomy and PSRB and negatively moderated the relationship between risk-taking willingness and PSRB. Conclusion: Servant leadership fosters PSRB through both direct and indirect mechanisms. Work autonomy and risk-taking willingness serve as parallel mediators, while PSM qualifies these mediating effects by moderating the second stage of the mediation process.

Source: Frontiers in Psychology

DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1588127

Authors: Zhizhong Hu, Honglin Zhang, Xiaoling He, Yingchun Han

Institutions: Nanchang University, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China

Language: English

Topic: Job Satisfaction and Organizational Behavior

Subfield: Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management

Field: Business, Management and Accounting

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Decent work and economic growth

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,801