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Benevolent Organization has recently become a significant topic of interest amongst the organizational researchers who are exploring and creating environment of human progress and compassion (Karakas, F. Sarigllu, E,2012). Organizations are increasingly making room for emotions, meaning, spirituality and community which were viewed only as a rational system (Ashmos and Duchon,2000). Around the world, the leaders are contributing to advance theories of business ethics (Trevino 1986), spirituality at work (Ashmos and Duchon, 2000, Mitroff and Denton 1999), positive organizational scholarship (Cameron et al. 2003), appreciative inquiry (Cooperrider and Whitney, 1998) and corporate social responsibility (Caroll, 1999). The benevolent organizations are focussing more on spiritual orientation and servant leadership provides guidance to create virtuous and compassionate environment which is required for a benevolent organization. The employees feel isolated emotionally often at work in the organization (Bolman and Deal, 1995). Workplace spirituality has the potential to overcome the isolation and provide a feeling of purpose and a sense of connection and meaning at work (Bolman and deal, 1995, Fry, 2003; Fry and Slocum, 2008; Giacalone and Jurkiewicz, 2003). An essential function of spirituality is also to lead to a path of genuine love of people and a deep concern for others (Kernochan et al. 2007). In this context, servant leadership might play a positive role due to its inherent characteristics. Servant leaders’ way of execution of task is not of self-interest; but they want their subordinates to improve for their own good. Servant leaders not only want subordinate to achieve an organization’s goals but want to see them developing as an end. Servant hood builds a working climate and generates feelings of employee empowerment rather than satisfying the desires of the self-ego. It also helps in cultivating a feeling of spirit of servanthood to create value for the community at large (Liden et.al. 2008).
Leadership is also an instrument of empowerment. The servant leaders have such an influence on their people for granting power to them in proportion which implies that their ability to shed their own power for the people is in the greater organizational interest (Udai Pareek,2002).Servant-leadership incorporates the principles of employee empowerment, total quality, team building amongst themselves, participatory management, and the service ethics into a leadership philosophy (Udai Pareek,2002).This kind of leadership helps in emphasizing increased service to others; a holistic approach to work; promoting a sense of community; and the sharing of power in decision making. Servant-leaders have been a value- and character-driven people who are performance and process oriented. We can reorganise and restructure as well as reengineer our organization to be effective and productive only with the efficient human resources for achieving success. Servant leadership influences the organizational or social culture in as much as it creates an orientation where the organization or the society encourages and rewards the employee for being fair, philanthropic, friendly, generous, caring and kind to others for everyone’s betterment (Kabasakal and Bodur, 2004). Besides, if seen in the context of power distance dimension proposed by Hofsteed (1972), low power distance cultures are expected to be more open to servant leadership because the greater the equality between leader and follower, higher is the possibility for focus on personal growth. People and processes be more important than tasks and organizational structure in accomplishing goals and productivity (Shekari, H, 2012). Effective systems and processes will be effective only if the people who make them work are effective. Highly motivated and well-trained human resources only can provide the assurance that any organization will be effective in accomplishing its goals. Leaders motivate their followers through investing in them and empowering them to do their best. The servant-leader’s belief in the intrinsic value of each individual is the central issue; it is all about recognition, acknowledgement, and the realization of each person’s abilities and what the person can still learn (Greenleaf, 1998). Organizational structure does not create alienation, rather it creates an atmosphere of trust where people feel accepted, feel free to make mistakes in the creative process, knowing that they will not be rejected (Ferch, 2005).
Servant leaders listen to the employees actively by asking them questions regarding their personal as well as professional life and about their assessment of the firm's business environment to build relationships with them (Tarallo Mark, 2018).