The study aimed to understand the impact of servant leadership on improving the contextual performance of employees in Palestinian local authorities in the Jericho and Jordan Valley Governorate. To achieve this goal, the descriptive-analytical method was used, with a questionnaire as the main tool for collecting data related to the study variables. For data analysis and hypothesis testing, the statistical programs SPSS V.25 and Smart PLS V.20 were utilized.
The field study conducted a comprehensive survey of all employees at various administrative levels in the local authorities of Jericho and the Jordan Valley, totaling 277 respondents. The study concluded that the local authorities under investigation generally focus on practicing servant leadership dimensions and contextual performance at a high level.
The results also showed that practicing servant leadership had a significant positive impact on improving the overall contextual performance dimensions. Additionally, the study revealed a significant positive impact of servant leadership practice on enhancing individual contextual performance dimensions, such as organizational commitment and organizational citizenship behavior.
The study recommended improving contextual performance by activating the dimensions of servant leadership in thought, behavior, and practice as an ongoing and integrated methodology in Palestinian local authorities.
Servant LeadershipContextual PerformancePalestinian Local AuthoritiesIntroduction
The contemporary world is witnessing many changes, developments, and challenges that affect various sectors, especially services. Palestinian organizations—particularly those whose services directly relate to citizens—face multiple challenges tied to the need to improve functional performance in general and contextual performance in particular. This applies to Palestinian local authorities that provide many public services to meet citizens’ needs. The scope of tasks required to deliver high-quality services obliges these authorities to adopt different leadership styles to overcome their challenges. Servant leadership may be one such style that helps address these challenges, elevate performance, and thereby achieve organizational goals by prioritizing employees’ needs, empowering them, solving their problems, and building trust, which in turn improves contextual performance.
Theoretical Framework of the Study VariablesIndependent Variable: Servant Leadership
Servant leadership is multidimensional. Based on the literature, the study adopts six dimensions (Wheeler & Barbuto Jr., 2006) with an added empowerment dimension: altruism, emotional healing, wisdom, persuasive mapping, organizational stewardship, and empowerment.
Altruism
Altruism reflects the servant leader’s willingness to sacrifice personal interests for followers, striving to meet their needs and desires, increasing their belonging and performance.
Emotional Healing
Emotional healing denotes the leader’s ability to understand, empathize, and listen to others’ human and emotional issues, creating a safe work environment and fostering team spirit.
Wisdom
Wisdom is the leader’s capacity to observe the environment, anticipate future implications, and make sound decisions proactively to serve the organization.
Persuasive Mapping
Persuasive mapping is the ability to use sound reasoning and mental models to influence others through argument and justification rather than formal authority.
Organizational Stewardship
Organizational stewardship reflects the leader’s belief in the organization’s ethical role in society, encouraging employees to participate in community activities and fostering collective spirit.
Empowerment
Empowerment refers to delegating authority to employees, increasing their responsibility, autonomy, and influence in decision-making to enhance effectiveness and innovation.
Dependent Variable: Contextual Performance
Contextual performance consists of discretionary, extra-role behaviors that support the organizational, social, and psychological environment. The study adopts two dimensions: organizational commitment and organizational citizenship behavior.
Organizational Commitment
Organizational commitment is the psychological attachment to the organization, reflected in affective, normative, and continuance commitment.
Organizational Citizenship Behavior
Organizational citizenship behavior comprises altruism, courtesy, sportsmanship, conscientiousness, and civic virtue—voluntary behaviors that enhance effectiveness.
Previous Studies
Prior studies show positive significant links between servant leadership and organizational performance, job performance, organizational commitment, and organizational citizenship behavior. However, empirical studies in Arab contexts, especially local authorities, remain limited. This study adds empowerment to the servant leadership scale and examines contextual performance via organizational commitment and organizational citizenship behavior.
Problem Statement
There is a research gap, particularly in Arab settings, on the empirical impact of servant leadership on contextual performance. A pilot with 30 respondents indicated limited awareness of servant leadership and contextual performance and a focus on task performance over contextual behaviors. The main question: What is the impact of practicing servant leadership on improving contextual performance among employees in Palestinian local authorities?
What is the level of servant leadership practice in Palestinian local authorities in Jericho and the Jordan Valley?
What is the level of contextual performance among employees in these authorities?
Study Objectives
Identify the level of servant leadership practice.
Identify the level of contextual performance.
Examine the impact of servant leadership on contextual performance.
Importance of the Study
The study fills a gap in Arab and Palestinian contexts by empirically testing servant leadership’s effect on contextual performance in local authorities. Practically, it offers recommendations to enhance contextual performance through servant leadership.
Proposed Model and Hypotheses
The model considers servant leadership (six dimensions) as the independent variable and contextual performance (organizational commitment and organizational citizenship behavior) as the dependent variable.
Proposed study model
Hypotheses
Main hypothesis: Servant leadership has a significant positive impact on the combined dimensions of contextual performance among employees in Palestinian local authorities.
H1: Servant leadership has a significant positive impact on organizational commitment.
H2: Servant leadership has a significant positive impact on organizational citizenship behavior.
Methodology
The study used a descriptive-analytical approach. Population: all employees (N=340) at different administrative levels in local authorities in Jericho and the Jordan Valley. A census survey was used. After excluding the pilot (30), 310 questionnaires were distributed; 288 returned; 11 invalid; 277 valid (89.4% of distributed).
Instrument
A questionnaire was developed based on validated scales: servant leadership (Wheeler & Barbuto Jr., 2006; plus empowerment), organizational commitment (Meyer & Allen, 1990), and organizational citizenship behavior (Podsakoff et al., 1990). A five-point Likert scale was used. Face validity was checked by eight experts; a pilot (30) ensured clarity.
Servant leadership is practiced at a high level overall; highest in organizational stewardship and empowerment; lowest in altruism.
Contextual performance is high; organizational commitment scores slightly higher than organizational citizenship behavior.
Servant leadership has a large, significant positive effect on overall contextual performance (β = 0.943, f² = 0.361, R² = 0.888).
Servant leadership has a large, significant positive effect on organizational commitment (β = 0.716, f² = 0.353, R² = 0.513).
Servant leadership has a large, significant positive effect on organizational citizenship behavior (β = 0.982, f² = 0.375, R² = 0.965).
Recommendations
Strengthen servant leadership practices as an ongoing methodology; provide training and workshops to embed all dimensions.
Increase emphasis on altruism by prioritizing employees’ interests and exerting efforts beyond formal duties to meet their needs.
Maintain and reinforce organizational commitment—especially continuance commitment—through incentives, meeting professional needs, and participatory decision-making.
Enhance organizational citizenship behaviors by building trust, promoting altruism and social relations, and integrating extra-role behaviors into performance appraisal and reward systems.
Leverage the strong positive effects found to institutionalize servant leadership to support organizational commitment and citizenship behaviors.
Limitations and Future Research
The study focused on six servant leadership dimensions and two contextual performance dimensions within local authorities in Jericho and the Jordan Valley; results may not generalize to other sectors. Future research could test other leadership styles, other outcomes (e.g., adaptive performance, crisis management), different sectors (education, health, tourism), alternative measurement methods, and mediators/moderators.
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