Leader humility and employee service performance: examining the role of meaningfulness in work, thriving at work and trust in the leader

Abstract

Although the effectiveness of leader humility has been established, there remains a research gap regarding its impact on employee service performance in different industries and cultural contexts. This study examines the perceived influence of leader humility on employee service performance, considering the mediating effects of meaningfulness in work and thriving at work and the moderating effect of trust in a leader. The research focuses specifically on the banking and telecom industries in Bangladesh. Conservation resource theory is the underpinning theory and test of the proposed model. This study investigates how leader humility promotes employee service performance by enhancing meaningfulness in work and thriving at work. Additionally, this study explores the contributions of trust in leaders and leader humility to improve meaningfulness in work. A quantitative research approach is adopted, utilizing a survey instrument adapted from existing studies. Non-probability sampling techniques are employed to collect data from the target respondents. The measurement and structural model analysis are conducted using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). At the same time, the sequential mediation impact of meaningfulness in work and thriving at work and the moderated mediation impact of trust in leaders is analyzed using the PROCESS Macro in SPSS. The hypotheses are validated through a matched manager-employee questionnaire sample comprising 306 participants from two Bangladeshi service companies operating in the banking and telecom sectors. Study findings demonstrate that leader humility improves employee meaningfulness, thriving at work, and service performance. This finding suggests that humble leaders can create a workplace where employees feel purpose, personal growth, and better service. This study also shows that thriving at work mediates the association between meaningfulness in work and employee service performance. This finding shows that meaningful work motivates employees to thrive, improving service performance. This study also finds that meaningfulness and thriving at work sequentially buffer the association between leader humility and employee service performance. Leader humility directly affects meaningfulness, which affects thriving at work and service performance. Trust in the leader also moderates the relationship between leader humility and employee outcomes. This study's noble finding shows that leader humility affects meaningfulness and thriving at work depending on trust in a leader. Trust in the leader influences how well leader humility promotes meaningful work experiences and employee thriving. This study analyzes Bangladesh's banking and telecom sectors, revealing their distinctive dynamics. This discovery makes the results more applicable and has practical implications for these industries. These findings highlight how leader humility improves staff well-being and performance. This study explains leader humility and its contextual factors. This study has theoretical and managerial implications. These consequences are thoroughly investigated, providing practical insights for leaders and companies in comparable situations