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SLBS-6: Validation of a Short Form of the Servant Leadership Behavior Scale

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Abstract

This paper reports the validation of a 6-item short form of the original 35-item Servant Leadership Behavior Scale, a widely used measure of servant leadership behavior. The holistic perspective of servant leadership and the inclusion of spirituality are two distinctive features of the SLBS relative to other servant leadership measures. Psychometric properties of the SLBS-6 were examined on the basis of seven studies. In the preliminary scale development, the factor structure of the new measure was tested using a combination of all samples (n = 3072). The subsequent seven studies were aimed at building further its construct validity relative to observed variables within the servant leadership nomological network in direct, mediating, and moderating relationships. Analyses of all datasets using MPlus with maximum-likelihood estimation provided support for the 6-item structure and demonstrated its internal consistency reliability, criterion-related validity, and construct validity. As such, the study presents the SLBS-6 as the shortest holistic measure of servant leadership to date that can be used with confidence for research and training purposes.

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Acknowledgements

We gratefully acknowledge the three anonymous reviewers and Associate Professor Brian Cooper for their helpful comments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Monash Business School, Monash University, 900 Dandenong Road, Caulfield East, VIC, 3145, Australia

    Sen Sendjaya, Nathan Eva, Mulyadi Robin & Samantha Castles

  2. Faculty of Business, Sampoerna University, L’Avenue Office Tower, Raya Pasar Minggu Kav. 16. 5th Floor, Pancoran, Jakarta, 12780, Indonesia

    Ivan Butar Butar

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  1. Sen Sendjaya
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Correspondence to Sen Sendjaya.

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Sendjaya, S., Eva, N., Butar Butar, I. et al. SLBS-6: Validation of a Short Form of the Servant Leadership Behavior Scale. J Bus Ethics 156, 941–956 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-017-3594-3

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