Effect of servant leadership on lecturers' attitudinal and behavioral loyalty in Nigeria: conservation of resource theory perspective

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to draw from the conservation of resources (COR) theory and investigate two separate models termed Model A and Model B. Model A examines the mediating role of life satisfaction (LS) on the relationship between servant leadership (SL) and lecturers' attitudinal loyalty (AL) and behavioral loyalty (BL). Model B examines the sequential mediating role of LS and AL on the link between SL and BL.Design/methodology/approachData were collected using a cross-sectional survey from 247 public university lecturers which were analyzed through SPSS, structural equation model (AMOS 23), and PROCESS Macro v4.0.FindingsStudy findings revealed that LS fully and partially mediates the relationships between SL and lecturers' AL and BL, respectively. Furthermore, LS and AL sequentially mediate the relationship between SL and BL.Practical implicationsThe study provides insight to university management into how their selfless and caring behavior can contribute to lecturers' retention. As such, university management should provide an environment that fosters a culture of selfless and caring leadership behavior.Originality/valueThe study contributes to the theoretical development of SL by explicating the mechanism that links SL and positive outcomes in the workplace. The major contribution lies in exploring the mediating role of LS on the link between SL and lecturers' AL and BL on one hand and the sequential mediating role of LS and AL on the link between SL and BL on the other hand in a context characterized by high-power distance.