Compassion at work: a catalyst for servant leadership and reducing employee quiet quitting behaviors

Purpose While the positive effects of servant leadership on employee attitudes and behaviours are well documented, its antecedents remain underexplored. This study aims to examine leader compassion as an antecedent of servant leadership and investigates how leaders’ perceived meaningful work strengthens this relationship. The study also examines the effect of servant leadership on employee quiet quitting, with employee compassion as a moderating condition. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative research design was used using structural equation modelling with SmartPLS 4 and Hayes’ PROCESS macro. Data were collected from 172 matched employee–supervisor dyads across public sector organisations in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Findings The results indicate that leader compassion is positively associated with servant leadership, and this relationship is stronger when leaders perceive their work as meaningful. In addition, servant leadership is negatively related to employee quiet quitting, with a stronger effect observed among employees higher in compassion. Originality/value This study advances servant leadership research by examining both its antecedents and outcomes within a public sector context. By integrating leader compassion, leaders’ meaningful work and employee compassion into a single framework, the study provides context-sensitive insights into how leadership can reduce quiet quitting and sustain employee engagement in bureaucratic environments. The findings extend servant leadership theory beyond performance-oriented outcomes and contribute to emerging research on employee disengagement in public sector organisations.