Do You Get What You Desire? Consequences of (In)Congruence of Desired and Actual Servant Leadership, and the Role of Context across Ten Countries

In this study, we explore how (in)congruence of desired and actual behaviours of servant leaders shape followers’ work outcomes. Furthermore, recognising the importance of context, we integrate a gender-cultural perspective and study the moderating role of gender inequality across ten countries on the associations between (in)congruence of servant leadership and follower outcomes. Utilising a sample comprising mainly of full-time employees across ten countries (n = 2,960), our findings from polynomial regression analyses support our hypotheses and reveal important findings with regards to the role of the importance of shared perceptions and the role of national context to understand how servant leaders become effective. The paper contributes to the theorizing of servant leadership by outlining the contextual, relational and role dynamics shaping leader behavior and follower outcomes; thus offering implications for training and development interventions in organisations to ensure a mutual understanding of servant conduct.