Impact of Servant Leadership on the Work Environment and the Attitudes and Behavior of Nursing Professionals as a Function of Gender: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the impact of servant leadership (SL) on the work environment and the attitudes and behaviors of nursing professionals by examining the existing differences according to gender. Background: Leadership styles influence both the attitudes and behavior of people over whom they are exercised and the work climate. SL, a prosocial form of leadership, characterized by the recovery of closeness between the leader and the team members, is one of the most important leadership styles in the nursing field today. Differences in the leadership style developed may occur as a function of gender. Evaluation: A systematic review of the literature was conducted following PRISMA 2020 guidelines. The search spanned from 2000 to 2024 across the databases Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, Science Direct, and CINAHL. The authors performed the review based on a search syntax, inclusion and exclusion criteria, and the data-extraction process. The synthesis categorized the studies according to their focus on leadership types. Key Issues: The review identified a total of 2140 records, with an additional 49 identified through snowball sampling. After thorough screening, fourteen studies were included in the final review, with an overall sample of 7041 participants, mostly female nurses. SL was positively related to aspects such as nurses’ behavior and attitudes, quality leader-nurse relationships, and psychological safety mechanisms, among others. Conclusions: SL has a positive impact on the work climate and attitudes and behaviors of nursing professionals. We did not find significant differences according to gender, as no studies regarding these differences were revealed in the nursing context. Therefore, further research on the impact of SL as a function of gender is essential. Implications for Nursing Management: The application of SL improves the work environment and the attitudes and behaviors of nurses and can therefore improve the quality standards of service offered to patients in hospitals.