Supporting remote leadership from the perspective of servant leadership

Abstract

This thesis investigates the implementation and effectiveness of servant leadership principles within remote work settings, specifically within the Finnish Tax Administration's Taxation Unit. The primary objective of this research was to identify practical servant leadership strategies that could enhance employee satisfaction, engagement, and psychological safety among remote employees. The research employed qualitative methodologies, utilizing extensive interviews, organizational data, and thematic analysis to capture detailed insights into remote leadership practices and employee experiences.

The study highlights that servant leadership characteristics, including empathy, active listening, trustbuilding, and personalized support, significantly contribute to higher psychological safety, motivation, and overall employee satisfaction. Employees particularly valued leadership practices emphasizing outcome-based evaluations rather than intrusive monitoring, underlining the negative impacts of excessive digital oversight. Additionally, effective, personalized, and informal communication was identified as a critical factor for fostering psychological safety and maintaining employee engagement in remote environments.

Key conclusions emphasize the necessity of contextualizing servant leadership strategies to suit remote settings, taking into account organizational culture and specific remote work challenges. Limitations of the research include its specific organizational context and inherent difficulties in detecting subtle phenomena such as cyberloafing and digital ostracism.

The research findings offer practical insights valuable for informing business, financial, and social decision-making, suggesting that servant leadership can enhance organizational productivity, reduce employee turnover, and improve workplace morale. Further research directions are proposed, including the exploration of long-term effects, comparative studies across different sectors, and the examination of technological integrations within servant leadership practices.