Effect of team leaders’ servant leadership on compassionate climate and shared vision: moderating role of leader grit and team size

Purpose This research aims to examine how team leaders’ servant leadership influences team members’ perceptions of a compassionate climate and, in turn, how these perceptions foster perceived shared vision. Specifically, leader grit and team size are proposed as moderators of the relationship between servant leadership and perceived compassionate climate. Design/methodology/approach Survey data were collected from 304 matched leader–member dyads across 116 teams in one of Thailand’s largest canned seafood manufacturing firms. Multisource data were obtained from team members and their team leaders within each team to minimize the potential risk of common method variance. The research model was analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling. Findings The results indicate that servant leadership did not have a significant direct effect on perceived shared vision; rather, its relationship with perceived shared vision operated indirectly through perceived compassionate climate. The findings further show that the positive association between servant leadership and perceived compassionate climate is stronger when team leaders exhibit higher levels of grit and when team size is relatively large. In contrast, the association becomes weaker and statistically non-significant when leader grit is low or when team size is small. Practical implications The findings suggest that organizations can enhance employee productivity by fostering a supportive working environment through servant leadership. Encouraging leaders to consistently demonstrate empathy and persistence can strengthen a compassionate climate, thereby improving alignment and cooperation in employment settings. Originality/value This study contributes to the servant leadership literature by identifying important boundary conditions and clarifying the perceptual mechanism through which servant leadership relates to shared vision. The findings suggest that the influence of servant leadership on employees’ perceptions of their team environment varies depending on leader persistence and team structure, thereby offering a more nuanced understanding of its contextual effectiveness.