This study examined the generalizability of servant leadership constructs observed in Western society to China. Using a sample of 659 Chinese public employees, we observed the servant leadership in China, but the generalizability of the construct is limited, in that some of the dimensions of the construct were violated. This study also tested the relationships between supervisors’ servant leadership and the public service motivation (PSM) of their immediate subordinates. This empirical study concluded that servant leadership is positively associated with public service motivation. The authors discussed the implications of the results for the administrative practices in Chinese public sector and raised issues for future research.
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