SERVANT LEADERSHIP AND ORGANIZATIONAL COMMITMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION: A PATH ANALYSIS OF ETHIOPIAN UNIVERSITIES

Abstract

This study investigates relationship between servant leadership practices and organizational commitment among academic staff in Ethiopian public universities. Using structural equation modeling (SEM) and path analysis  we examined data from 487 faculty members across eight universities. Research employed a quantitative approach with validated instruments measuring servant leadership dimensions (empowerment, accountability, standing back, humility, authenticity, courage and stewardship) and organizational commitment components (affective, continuance and normative). Results revealed that servant leadership significantly predicts organizational commitment (β = 0.612, p < 0.001) with empowerment (β = 0.284) and stewardship (β = 0.267) emerging as strongest predictors. Affective commitment showed the highest correlation with servant leadership (r = 0.687, p < 0.001). Path analysis model demonstrated excellent fit indices (CFI = 0.952, TLI = 0.944, RMSEA = 0.046). These findings suggest that cultivating servant leadership behaviors, particularly empowerment and stewardship  can significantly enhance faculty commitment in Ethiopian higher education institutions. This study contributes to leadership theory in African contexts and provides practical implications for university administrators.