Effect of Servant Leadership on Volunteer Retention: Studying the Mediating Role of Organizational Identification in NGOs

Abstract: The emergence of Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs) in recent decades has heightened the role of volunteers in social and humanitarian pursuits. Retaining the dedicated volunteers is a continued challenge and their motivation emerges as a key factor in sustaining their volunteer involvement. This research looked into two motivating elements, i.e., Servant Leadership and Organizational Identification, and proposes a framework wherein Servant Leadership affects the Volunteer Retention, and this phenomenon is mediated by Organizational Identification. The study surveyed 411 volunteers from the NGOs serving in an Indian state, and data were analysed using SPSS AMOS 24.0. Results outlined that Servant Leadership affects volunteer retention positively and further Organizational Identification partially mediates this relationship. This research also outlined the practical implications for NGO leaders for prioritizing servant leadership traits, encouraging deep organizational identification, and eventually ensuring a dedicated volunteer base vis-à-vis their retention with the NGOs. Keywords: Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs); Servant Leadership (SL); Organizational Identification (OI); Volunteer Retention (VR)