How does the servant supervisor influence the employability of postgraduates? Exploring the mechanisms of self-efficacy and academic engagement

Abstract

Drawing on the conservation of resource theory, this study investigates the mediating effects of self-efficacy and academic engagement in the relationship between servant supervision and postgraduates’ employability. We conducted a field study with 598 postgraduates (students for the research-based master's degree and PhD candidates) enrolled in universities in China to test our hypotheses. We developed and tested a model contending that servant supervisors propagate servant supervision among postgraduates through postgraduates’ self-efficacy and academic engagement, which indirectly influences postgraduates’ employability. The results support the mediating effects of both self-efficacy and academic engagement on the relationship between servant supervision and postgraduates’ employability. Finally, the theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Keywords

Servant supervision / Self-efficacy / Academic engagement / Employability / Conservation of resource theory / Postgraduates / Leadership

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2020 Higher Education Press and Springer