The mediation effect of trust and justice on the relationship between servant leadership and employee job satisfaction: an empirical findings from private universities in Kuwait

PurposeHigher education institutions now place a greater emphasis on servant leadership, organizational trust, and justice. This study evaluates the function of organizational and leader trust and justice in mediating the relationship between employee job satisfaction and servant leadership in Kuwait's private universities.Design/methodology/approachEmployees from two private higher education sectors in Kuwait provided 205 valid responses to the study's closed-ended survey, which was given to 240 workers. The job satisfaction and servant leadership, leader's trust and justice and servant leadership, leader's trust and justice and job satisfaction, and the mediating effect of trust and justice on the relationship between servant leadership and job satisfaction among employees in Kuwait's private universities-all four variables-were examined using the simple random procedure method. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was used for data analysis.FindingsThe findings provide evidence supporting the positive effects of servant leadership on employee job satisfaction. Moreover, it provided evidence supporting the positive relationship between servant leadership and organizational trust and justice. The findings also showed a positive correlation between organizational trust and justice and job satisfaction among staff members working in Kuwait's private higher education sector. Additionally, the results provided a partial mediation effect of organizational trust and justice on the relationship between servant leadership and employee job satisfaction.Originality/valueEmployee job satisfaction, performance, engagement, and outcomes within Kuwait's private higher education sector are significantly improved by the adoption of a servant leadership style, together with organizational and leader's trust and justice. The findings demonstrate the significance of the servant leadership style in this industry's leadership habits for raising worker job satisfaction.