Designing a Servant Leadership Model Based on Employees’ Innovative Behavior Using the Meta-Synthesis Method and Its Impact on Organizational Performance (Case Study: Industry, Mining, and Trade Organization of Sistan and Baluchestan Province)

This study aimed to design a servant leadership model based on employees’ innovative behavior using the meta-synthesis method and to investigate its impact on organizational performance. In the qualitative phase, the meta-synthesis approach was employed, while in the quantitative phase, structural equation modeling (SEM) was used for model validation through the Partial Least Squares (PLS) method in LISREL 8.80 software. By reviewing reliable documents and accessible records on official websites and analyzing English-language sources from 2010 to 2024 and Persian sources from 2011 to 2025, a total of 63 relevant articles were identified from an initial large pool. To analyze the selected articles, content analysis was utilized to extract underlying concepts, dimensions, and influential components. The validity of these extracted concepts was assessed using the Delphi panel method with the participation of experts and scholars in the field. The analysis identified four main components influencing servant leadership: organizational characteristics, leadership style, employee characteristics, and management characteristics. The ranking of these factors revealed that leadership style had the highest impact, followed by management characteristics, employee characteristics, and finally organizational characteristics. Additionally, hypothesis testing results confirmed that the components of servant leadership, based on employees’ innovative behavior, significantly affect the performance of the Industry, Mining, and Trade Organization of Sistan and Baluchestan Province. Servant leadership, as a managerial style, can enhance employee trust, strengthen innovation, and improve organizational performance. It is recommended that organizations align their leadership models with this style to foster a culture of innovation and competitiveness.