A Quantitative Examination of Servant Leadership in Occupational Therapy

Abstract

The tenets of servant leadership are in alignment with those driving occupational therapy practice, though little research exists to quantify this fit. This study presents a preliminary examination of servant leadership utilization by occupational therapy academic leaders. A quantitative survey-based design collected demographic information and scores on the Servant Leadership Behavior Scale. There were 370 responses which met inclusionary criteria. The findings provided initial support for the intentional use of a servant leadership model by leaders in the profession, and points to future research on the subject to further strengthen the findings presented.

Keywords:

• health care
• higher education
• leadership
• occupational therapy
• servant leadership
• academia

Acknowledgements

This original study was completed under IRB approval, granted by the University of the Cumberlands, #326-0521. The original work was completed as part of a successfully defended dissertation research study, under the guidance of committee chair, Dr. Luke Smith, and committee members, Dr. Joseph Mews and Dr. Jamie Stringer. Without their support, guidance, and patience, this research would not have been possible. Many other family and friends, in particular Jason, Emily, and Benjamin, have inspired and empowered me to do this work.

Declaration of interest

The authors declare there is no Complete of Interest at this study.

Disclosure statement

The author reports there are no competing interests to declare.

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.