The relationship between servant leadership and nurses' in-role performance: The sequential mediating effects of job autonomy and emotional exhaustion

AbstractAimsDrawing on the conservation of resources theory, this study examines the underlying process through which servant leadership is associated with nurses' in‐role performance. Specifically, we test the indirect effect of servant leadership on in‐role performance via a sequential mediating mechanism of job autonomy and emotional exhaustion.DesignA time‐lagged design was implemented using data gathered from two‐wave online surveys (1 week apart) of registered nurses from Jiangsu Province, China.MethodsBetween September 2022 and February 2023, we used Wenjuanxing and Credma, which are two powerful and user‐friendly data collection platforms, to distribute online surveys to potential participants. We received a total of 220 usable responses and employed the PROCESS Model 4 and Model 6 to assess our proposed hypotheses.ResultsOur proposed model was supported. Servant leadership has a positive indirect effect on nurses' in‐role performance through job autonomy and emotional exhaustion. Job autonomy has a negative effect on emotional exhaustion. Additionally, job autonomy mediates the negative relationship between servant leadership and emotional exhaustion.ConclusionThe present research extends existing nursing studies by unravelling the complex mechanisms underlying the relationship between servant leadership and nurses' in‐role performance. Our study also identifies the underlying mechanism of how servant leadership mitigates emotional exhaustion by supporting nurses' job autonomy.ImpactThe sequential mediation results provide us with a more fine‐grained understanding of the relationship between servant leadership and nurses' in‐role performance. It further promotes job autonomy and decreases emotional exhaustion, which supports the UN Sustainable Development Goal #3 (Good Health and Well‐being).Patient or Public ContributionThis study addresses the UN Sustainable Development Goal #3: ‘To ensure healthy lives and promote well‐being for all at all ages’ and the healthcare providers will benefit from our study. Therefore, the study contributes to a more sustainable organization and society.