Human resources are one of the factors that have an essential role in all company activities. Based on the 41st Gallup International End of Year Survey in 2017, 59% of 53,796 people in 55 countries around the world stated that they were happy. Based on the survey, Indonesia is the eighth happiest country out of 55 countries that participated in the survey. Besides, the Happiness Index Survey conducted by JobStreet.com in 2017 showed that there were 71 out of 100 people in Indonesia who said that they were happy with their current work. The survey also revealed three main factors that create employee happiness, workplace location, coworkers, and company reputation. On the other hand, the three main factors that create employee unhappiness consist of lack of leadership, career development, and training from the company.
Life satisfaction is one indicator of employee well-being. Employee life satisfaction is determined by physical and mental conditions that are dependent on various indicators, including income, housing, relationships with others, education, health, environmental quality, trust in others, services provided, security, and work-life balance, which together determine the extent to which employees comparatively assess their quality of life. Moreover, life satisfaction can affect employee performance, commitment, and turnover. Leadership style can have an impact on employee life satisfaction, and it may determine the success or effectiveness of leadership and employees’ adherence to the leader. In an organizational sense, servant leadership will enhance employee life satisfaction by improving employee work engagement and self-esteem. Servant leadership also has a positive impact on family satisfaction and family life quality. However, previous studies which investigate the relationship between servant leadership and life satisfaction are minimal, so this paper will examine the relationship between the two by using Positive Workplace Effect mediation
Servant leadership is mainly defined by the qualities of being a good listener, having self-awareness, empathy, and management, that enable leaders to understand employees’ needs and optimize their potential, while at the same time adjusting employees’ aspirations to organizational needs and goals. Servant leaders place their employees at the center of their attention and strive to pay attention to their needs while doing their utmost to foster employee development with sufficient support and resources. The positive effect is a strong indicator of life satisfaction. Positive workplace positive effect (WPA) is an accumulation of positive feelings from work experience. The positive effect can reduce negative cognitive biases, thereby leading to reduced psychological stress, increased life satisfaction, and psychological well-being. There is a correlation between life satisfaction and positive effect. When employees have positive feelings at work, they will have broader views and welcome more perspectives or feedback. It will allow employees to pay more attention to other areas of life, such as family, health, and free time. Hence employees can provide more support to members of the family and improve their overall well-being through health and leisure time.
This study concludes that the servant leadership (X) variable has a positive and significant effect on positive workplace positive effect (Z). It proves that a leader who communicates directly and pays attention to employees while being sensitive to problems faced by employees increases positive workplace positive effect. The servant leadership (X) variable has a positive and significant effect on life satisfaction (Y). It proves that support given by a leader can increase employee satisfaction. Positive workplace positive effect (Z) variable does not have a positive effect on life satisfaction (Y). It proves that positive feelings at work do not affect employee life satisfaction. Positive workplace positive effect (Z) variable does not act as an intervening variable between servant leadership (X) the life satisfaction variable (Y).
The result of this research shows that an Organisation is expected to increase the dimensions of servant leadership variable, namely creating value for the group, empowering and supporting subordinates to grow, and succeed, which is expected to increase employee satisfaction. Increasing the dimension of creating value for the community can be undertaken by company leaders through improving community-wide programs and emphasizing the importance of social contribution to employees. Increasing the empowering aspect can be completed by motivating employees to learn how to identify and solve problems and determining when and how to complete work assignments effectively. Increasing the dimensions of helping the subordinate to grow and succeed can be accomplished by paying more attention to employees’ career development and career goals while also by providing more support and guidance to employees. Organizations are expected to pay more attention to employee life satisfaction by paying attention to the physical and mental conditions of employees, such as income, health, environment, and services provided by the Organisation for employees.
Writer: Anis Eliyana
Link:
https://www.ijicc.net/index.php/volume-12-2020/179-vol-12-iss-12
