The Effects of Servant Leadership on the Socio-moral Climate of Catholic Parishes and the Spiritual Well-being of Followers

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of followers’ perceived servant leadership orientation of their leaders on the socio-moral climate of organizations and the spiritual well-being of followers in a non-profit/religious setting. Data were collected from 354 parish staff and volunteers of 53 Catholic parishes in the dioceses of Oklahoma City and Tulsa. Structural equation modeling showed good fit indices for the hypothesized model. Results showed a strong relationship between servant leadership and socio-moral climate, as well as a direct positive relationship between servant leadership and spiritual well-being. Socio-moral climate was positively related to spiritual well-being. The effect of servant leadership on followers’ spiritual well-being was partially mediated by socio-moral climate. In addition, socio-moral climate moderated the relationship between servant leadership and spiritual well-being, indicating that the effect of servant leadership on spiritual well-being was higher when socio-moral climate was evaluated positively. This study contributes to a better understanding of how leadership can affect, directly and indirectly, followers’ well-being, and demonstrates the importance of the organizational context as a means to shape followers’ behavior and organizational outcomes.