Servant leadership influencing flow and team performance through a caring-oriented social context

Purpose Grounded in servant leadership theory and the socially embedded model of thriving, this study investigates how servant leadership influences employee thriving. It examines how servant leaders shape a caring-oriented social context – reflected in perceived investment in employee development, integrated gender-role team values and reduced work–family interference – which enhances employees' experience of flow at work and improves team performance. Design/methodology/approach A survey-based study was conducted with 453 employees to test the model at both individual and team levels. The design employed a two-stage approach, with flow (as reported by employees) and team performance (as judged by direct supervisors) measured one month after the first-stage survey. The conceptual model was tested using two-level structural equation modeling (SEM). Findings Results showed that servant leadership is positively related to employee flow and team performance. These relationships are explained by greater perceived investment in employee development, integrated gender-role team values and reduced conflict between work and family life. Together, these mechanisms illustrate how servant leadership promotes employee thriving and team performance by embedding care and support within employees' everyday social context. Originality/value Our findings offer actionable insights for organizations, underscoring the importance of cultivating servant leadership to support employee thriving and team performance. The study advances servant leadership research by identifying socially embedded pathways that enhance employee flow and team performance. By integrating the socially embedded model of thriving with a multilevel, time-lagged design, the study provides theoretical and empirical insights into how servant leaders create a care-oriented social context that supports both individual well-being and team effectiveness.