When a servantleader comes knocking …

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to scrutinise the concept of servant leadership from a business administration (management) pointofview. Design/methodology/approach A review of scholarly works on servantleadership is presented. Findings A generally accepted definition of servantleadership is not available. There are no generally accepted instruments for measuring servantleadership. It is unclear whether some leaders are servantleaders while others are not, and whether leaders can be servantleaders to different degrees. The positive effects of servantleadership on organisational outcomes, a consideration highly relevant to management, have not been empirically established. Some studies have shown negative effects of servantleadership on organisational effectiveness. Research limitations/implications This literature review contains no empirical data. Practical implications The argument that servantleaders should be in charge of private companies and public organisations appears to be contrary to theoretical and empirical considerations. Servantleaders, whose concerns are primarily focused on subordinates rather than customers (or citizens), are hardly able to attain organisational goals. Originality/value The paper offers critical comments on the conceptual and empirically usefulness of servantleadership when applied to business enterprises and public agencies. © 2009, Emerald Group Publishing Limited