Servant Leadership and Affective Commitment to Change in Manufacturing Organizations

142 Pages·2017·1.52 MB·English

Walden University
ScholarWorks
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Collection
2017
Servant Leadership and Affective Commitment to
Change in Manufacturing Organizations
Jeffrey Schulkers
Walden University
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Walden University

College of Management and Technology

This is to certify that the doctoral study by

Jeffrey Schulkers

has been found to be complete and satisfactory in all respects,
and that any and all revisions required by
the review committee have been made.

Review Committee
Dr. Michael Lavelle, Committee Chairperson, Doctor of Business Administration Faculty

Dr. Janet Booker, Committee Member, Doctor of Business Administration Faculty

Dr. Gergana Velkova, University Reviewer, Doctor of Business Administration Faculty

Chief Academic Officer
Eric Riedel, Ph.D.

Walden University
2017
Abstract
Servant Leadership and Affective Commitment to Change in Manufacturing
Organizations
by
Jeffrey Lee Schulkers

MBA, South University, 2012
BA, University of Minnesota – Twin Cities, 2005

Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree of
Doctor of Business Administration

Walden University
March 2017
Abstract
Organizational change initiatives in the United States frequently fail with estimated
failure rates as high as 90%. Change failure rates resulting from underused and poorly
trained front-line managers (FLMs) remained high, with no signs of improvement in the
past 2 decades. The purpose of the correlational study, grounded in servant leadership
theory, was to examine the relationship between employee perceptions of their FLM’s
servant leadership dimensions and employee affective commitment to change. A
purposive, nonprobability sample of 107 employees of a U.S. manufacturing organization
that had recently undergone organizational change completed a questionnaire for the
study. Results of the multiple linear regression analysis were not significant, F(7, 107) =
.714, p = .660, R2 = 0.045. Though results were not statistically significant, the beta
weights for creating value for the community (β = .165) and behaving ethically (β = .168)
indicated that creating value for the community and behaving ethically were potentially
the most important variables in accounting for variance in the model. The beta weights
for emotional healing (β = -.048) and conceptual skills (β = -.047) indicated that
emotional healing and conceptual skills were potentially the least important variables in
accounting for variance in the model. The findings may be of value to manufacturing
leaders developing initiatives to improve change initiative success rates. Support for
servant leadership during periods of organizational change has positive social change
implications for employees. The practice of servant leadership reduces employee
uncertainty and anxiety incurred during periods of change by resolving uncertainties and
sustaining employee motivation for supporting organizational change.
Servant Leadership and Affective Commitment to Change in Manufacturing
Organizations
by
Jeffrey Lee Schulkers

MBA, South University, 2012
BA, University of Minnesota – Twin Cities, 2005

Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree of
Doctor of Business Administration

Walden University
March 2017
Dedication
I dedicate this study to my son, Thomas, to my mother, Joan, and to my father,
Jerry. To my son, Thomas, there is nothing you can’t achieve, and I will move heaven
and earth to support you through this life. Words can’t express how much I love you. I
hope your natural curiosity and love of learning continues and that you pass these onto
future generations of Schulkers. To my mother, thank you for always believing in me and
for your continuous support. Your accomplishments in life set the bar high for your
children and taught us hard work pays off. You should be extremely proud to have two
children earning their doctorates in the same month! Lastly, I dedicate this study to my
late father whom I was too young to know when he passed. I think of you when I look at
my son and hope I have made you proud.
Acknowledgments
I want to thank my professors at Walden University for their support and
encouragement throughout the program. Specifically, I want to thank my committee
chair, Dr. Michael Lavelle. You are a true mentor, and I couldn’t have done this without
you. I thank you not just for being my chair, but for your dedication and encouragement
for all your students. I would also like to thank my second committee member, Dr. Janet
Booker. Thank you for your timely feedback and guidance throughout this journey.
Lastly, I want to thank Dr. Gergana Velkova. When I look back at this program, I will
remember your expert reviews as most instrumental to my academic growth.
Table of Contents
List of Tables ..................................................................................................................... iv
List of Figures ......................................................................................................................v
Section 1: Foundation of the Study ......................................................................................1
Background of the Problem ...........................................................................................2
Problem Statement .........................................................................................................3
Purpose Statement ..........................................................................................................3
Nature of the Study ........................................................................................................4
Research Question .........................................................................................................5
Hypotheses .....................................................................................................................5
Theoretical Framework ..................................................................................................6
Operational Definitions ..................................................................................................6
Assumptions, Limitations, and Delimitations ................................................................7
Assumptions ............................................................................................................ 7
Limitations .............................................................................................................. 8
Delimitations ........................................................................................................... 8
Significance of the Study ...............................................................................................9
A Review of the Professional and Academic Literature ..............................................10
Servant Leadership Theory ................................................................................... 12
Rival Theories ....................................................................................................... 16
Measurement ......................................................................................................... 19
Servant Leadership................................................................................................ 21
i
Commitment to Change ........................................................................................ 32
Methodologies....................................................................................................... 41
Front-Line Management During Organizational Change ..................................... 42
Transition and Summary ..............................................................................................55
Section 2: The Project ........................................................................................................56
Purpose Statement ........................................................................................................56
Role of the Researcher .................................................................................................57
Participants ...................................................................................................................58
Research Method and Design ......................................................................................60
Research Method .................................................................................................. 60
Research Design.................................................................................................... 62
Population and Sampling .............................................................................................64
Ethical Research...........................................................................................................67
Instrumentation ............................................................................................................69
Data Collection Technique ..........................................................................................75
Data Analysis ...............................................................................................................77
Study Validity ..............................................................................................................80
Transition and Summary ..............................................................................................81
Section 3: Application to Professional Practice and Implications for Change ..................82
Introduction ..................................................................................................................82
Presentation of the Findings.........................................................................................83
Test of Assumptions ............................................................................................. 84
ii
Descriptive Statistics ............................................................................................. 87
Inferential Results ................................................................................................. 89
Applications to Professional Practice ..........................................................................97
Implications for Social Change ....................................................................................99
Recommendations for Action ....................................................................................100
Recommendations for Further Research ....................................................................102
Reflections .................................................................................................................103
Summary and Study Conclusions ..............................................................................104
References ........................................................................................................................106
Appendix A: SL-28 Servant Leadership Scale ................................................................123
Appendix B: Commitment to Change Inventory .............................................................126
Appendix C: Instruments Use Request ............................................................................127
Appendix D: Email to Participate in Survey....................................................................129
Appendix E: National Institutes of Health Certificate of Completion .............................130

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