Pathways of Servant Leadership in Lecturers' Work Engagement and Innovative Behaviour: The Evidence From Chinese Higher Vocational Colleges

ABSTRACT As a positive leadership style, servant leadership draws attention to its role in motivating innovative behaviour and work engagement. Based on the self‐determination theory, this study focuses on validating servant leadership in the higher vocational college lecturers' work engagement and innovative behaviour. The link considered the mediating role of psychological empowerment and perceived organisational support, as well as the moderating effect of leader‐member exchange. The data were collected from 725 lecturers in Chinese higher vocational colleges. The data were analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling. The results revealed that servant leadership positively affects lecturers' work engagement and innovative behaviour. The mediating effects of psychological empowerment and perceived organisational support, as well as the effect of leader‐member exchange, are all significant. This study provides new empirical evidence for Chinese higher vocational education reform, and presents theoretical and practical insights for future servant leadership research.