The Influence of Servant Leadership on Organizational Citizenship Behavior and Public Service Performance: A Study of Indonesian National Police (POLRI) Members

Background: The Indonesian National Police (Polri) has been mandated to transition from a command-and-control institution to a community-oriented, service-driven organization since 1999. Despite this imperative, empirical research on the leadership mechanisms that drive officer behavior and service quality remains limited.

Objectives: This study investigates the influence of servant leadership on organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) and public service performance, and tests OCB as a mediating mechanism.

Methods: A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted with 215 Polri members across four operational units at Polda Metro Jaya using proportional stratified random sampling. Data were collected via the Servant Leadership Questionnaire (SLQ), the OCB scale, and an adapted public service performance scale. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) via SmartPLS 4.0 was employed for hypothesis testing.

Results: Servant leadership positively and significantly predicted OCB (β = 0.512, t = 8.127, p < .001, f² = 0.355) and public service performance (β = 0.283, t = 3.986, p < .001, f² = 0.108). OCB significantly predicted public service performance (β = 0.421, t = 6.191, p < .001, f² = 0.238) and partially mediated the servant leadership–performance relationship (indirect β = 0.215, VAF = 43.2%, 95% CI [0.135, 0.296]). The model explained 26.2% of variance in OCB and 48.7% in public service performance.

Conclusions: Servant leadership is a significant predictor of OCB and public service performance in a paramilitary public-sector context. OCB partially mediates this relationship, indicating both direct motivational and indirect behavioral pathways. Findings extend servant leadership theory beyond Western business contexts and provide actionable guidance for leadership development within Polri.