SERVANT LEADERSHIP, PSYCHOLOGICAL EMPOWERMENT AND WORK ENGAGEMENT: A CASE STUDY IN THE PORTUGUESE AIR FORCE

Resumen

This study focuses on the role of psychological empowerment in the relationship between servant leadership and work engagement among military personnel of the Portuguese Air Force. This case study employed a quantitative methodology through the administration of a questionnaire to the entire population of the Portuguese Air Force (including officers, sergeants, enlisted personnel, civilians, and trainees), resulting in a total sample of n=499. The questionnaire included the Servant Leadership Survey, the Psychological Empowerment Scale and the Work and Well-Being Survey to evaluate work engagement. The results indicated that the three variables are significantly and positively correlated, and that Psychological Empowerment is an effective mediator in the relationship between Servant Leadership and Work Engagement, mediating this relationship by 74%. The contribution of this research lies in the empirical evidence provided regarding the role of Psychological Empowerment as a mediator in the relationship between Servant Leadership and Work Engagement within a military context. Additionally, it aims to expand the empirical understanding of the concept of Servant Leadership, which remains limited within the Portuguese population and even more so in the military setting.