Servant Leadership on Team Effectiveness in Agile Software Companies: Mediating Role of Intellectual Stimulation and Perceived Supervisor Support

Abstract

This research investigates how servant leadership influences team effectiveness within agile software companies. Additionally, it examines the mediating roles of intellectual stimulation and perceived supervisor support in this relationship. The study adopts a survey approach, with 327 IT professionals from various cities across Pakistan. The questionnaire achieved a response rate of 45%. Data analysis was conducted using regression and mediation analysis methods with IBM SPSS. The results revealed that servant leadership had a significant positive impact on team effectiveness in agile software companies. Intellectual stimulation mediated this relationship, showing that leaders who encourage creativity and critical thinking improve team outcomes. Perceived supervisor support further enhanced the positive effects of servant leadership on team effectiveness, highlighting the role of supervisors’ emotional and professional support in fostering a productive team environment. This research sheds light on the understudied domain of servant leadership in IT, offering insights for academic and practical leadership development. It pioneers a comprehensive analysis of servant leadership, intellectual stimulation, perceived supervisor support, and team effectiveness in agile software companies. Theoretically, the study advances our knowledge regarding how supervisor support and intellectual stimulation help connect servant leadership with better team performance, especially in agile settings. Practically, the findings guide IT companies to improve team outcomes by encouraging leaders to be ethical, supportive, and open to new ideas.