Servant leadership in higher education: An analysis of the perceptions of higher education employees regarding servant leadership practices at varying types of institutions

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to determine if there is a significant difference in the perceptions of higher education employees regarding servant leadership practices at their respective institutions. This study was conducted at two different institutions and with all employment levels including workforce, management and top administration. Research participants were asked to complete the Organizational Leadership Assessment instrument as developed by Laub (1999) in order to answer two research questions: (1) Are there significant differences between the perceptions of employees in various role groups regarding servant leadership practices within their own institutions? (2) Are there significant differences between the perceptions of employees at different types of institutions (public 2-year and public 4-year) regarding servant leadership practices?

The results of the data showed a significant difference in the perceptions of administrators regarding servant leadership practices as compared to the workforce group. This was true at both institutions. Additionally, when comparing employee groups across institutions, a significant difference was found between the administrators at the two-year institution and the workforce group of the four-year institution.