Enhancing faculty engagement through servant leadership: evidence from Indian higher education institutions

Purpose This study investigates how servant leadership (SL) influences faculty work engagement (WE) in Indian higher education institutions (HEIs), focusing on the mediating role of job satisfaction (JS). The research is grounded in the Social Exchange Theory (SET) and explores the psychological processes that connect leadership behavior to faculty motivation. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative, cross-sectional research design was employed. Data were gathered from 406 faculty members working in the top 25 NAAC-ranked universities in India using purposive sampling. Validated scales measured SL, JS and WE. Structural relationships were tested using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). Additionally, moderation analysis was conducted to assess whether institutional ownership (public, society-managed and family-owned universities) influenced the WE. Findings The results demonstrate that SL has a significant impact on both JS and WE. JS was also found to mediate the relationship between SL and engagement, indicating that faculty satisfaction plays a central role in translating ethical and empowering leadership into active professional involvement. A moderation analysis revealed that the effect of SL on WE varies by institutional ownership, with stronger effects observed in public universities compared to society- or family-owned institutions. Practical implications Institutional leaders and HR professionals should consider embedding SL traits, such as empathy, ethical guidance and empowerment, into leadership development programs to enhance faculty satisfaction and engagement. Originality/value This study extends existing leadership literature by contextualizing SL within Indian HEIs and highlighting JS as a psychological mechanism connecting leadership to engagement. It further contributes originality by demonstrating that ownership structures – public, society-managed and family-owned institutions – meaningfully moderate the SL–engagement relationship, introducing an understudied contextual factor in the Indian higher education landscape.