IMPACT OF SERVANT LEADERSHIP ON TEAM EFFECTIVENESS IN IT SECTOR: ROLE OF INTELLECTUAL STIMULATION AND PERCEIVED SUPERVISOR SUPPORT

Abstract

In the contemporary landscape of the IT sector, leadership paradigms have witnessed a notable evolution, particularly with the advent of servant leadership—an ethos that places primacy on prioritizing the needs of the team over individual interests. Supervisors in the IT industry have evolved and devised various leadership styles that are team-focused and involve various techniques to improve team satisfaction and productivity and in turn, facilitate in achieving organizational goals. This study sought to examine the collective impact of servant leadership, intellectual stimulation, and perceived supervisor support on team effectiveness. A cohort comprising 327 IT professionals across various cities in Pakistan was engaged through structured survey instruments to gauge their perceptions regarding these leadership dimensions and their consequential effects on team effectiveness. The findings present servant leadership as a pivotal driver of team effectiveness, exerting a statistically significant positive influence. Moreover, this effect was found to be reinforced by the presence of intellectual stimulation and perceived supervisor support, thereby contributing to fostering optimal team performance within the Agile IT sector. This study harbors significant implications for practitioners and stakeholders within the Pakistani IT domain. It underscores the efficacy of servant leadership as a catalyst for enhancing team cohesion and productivity, thereby advocating for its widespread adoption within organizational contexts. Furthermore, the reinforcement of servant leadership with elements of intellectual stimulation and supervisor support elucidates the nuanced dynamics underpinning effective leadership within the IT sector. The findings of this research underscore the imperative for organizational leaders to adopt a servant leadership style, one characterized by a profound commitment to the holistic well-being and professional development of their teams. By fostering a culture of servant leadership alongside intellectual stimulation and robust supervisor support, organizations can engender a climate conducive to innovation, collaboration, and sustained performance.