Is servant leadership radical enough for the 21st century? the case study of an information technology company in South Africa.

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic had an impact on both work and daily life, which is what motivated this investigation. In addition to causing worldwide turbulence, the pandemic has challenged well-established leadership models. It suddenly became a norm for millions of people, particularly knowledge workers, to work remotely. For most organizations with remote workers for the first time the shift has resulted in a different dynamic from the management perspective. Considering the uncertainties and complexities associated with the pandemic, the question is whether servant leadership can deliver a leadership approach that can cope with the challenges of the modern workplace.

A qualitative study was conducted with a purposeful sample of IT professionals from a Cape Town-based private company. A sample of line managers from the selected company was included in the study. Study participants were interviewed through Microsoft Teams for 45-60 minutes and digitally recorded for later review. Prior to the interviews the participants were required to complete an online Google questionnaire to understand their values and beliefs. An analysis of the interview transcripts and observations for common themes was conducted using content analysis. The study’s results revealed that servant leadership, if effectively implemented, can benefit an organization, allowing employees to feel cared for and trusted, thus motivating them to provide quality service to clients. Servant leadership can also strengthen learning organizations through talent development and retention. Future directions for research are presented, along with limitations of this study.