Servant Leadership Perspectives on Change Management in India’s Transforming Economy

Although Indian multinational corporations are highly successful, most are privately owned with a paternalistic culture. This study explores whether Indian corporations can benefit from applying servant leadership to their change management. Previous cross-sectional studies have shown a difference in leadership when comparing European and Indian organizations and they have highlighted a leaning toward transactional leadership in India from followers’ perspectives. This study employed qualitative questionnaire given to participants with Indian work experience focusing on the principles of servant leadership including listening, empathy, persuasion, foresight, conceptualization, stewardship, commitment to growth, and building community. Participant responses were transcribed, and content analysis was performed. Findings suggest stewardship was clearly understood and related to leadership, with a strong positive correlation between leadership and change. Applying servant leadership principles may foster a capacity for faster change in an environment of accelerated growth in a global economy. Future research can explore aspects of servant leadership addressing culture-specific environments using quantitative methods with larger sample size.