The Mediating Role of Social Capital in the Effect of Servant Leadership on Strategic Agility within the Tourism Sector: A Case Study of Hotels in Mazandaran Province

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Alireza Alami 1
Majid fattahi 2
Ameneh Rezazadeh 3
1 Master's degree, Department of Business Management, Sari Branch, Islamic Azad University, Sari, Iran.
2 Assistant Professor, Department of Business Management, Sari Branch, Islamic Azad University, Sari, Iran.
3 PhD in Business Administration, Faculty of Management, Sari Branch, Islamic Azad University, Sari, Iran.
10.22034/jmek.2024.480130.1146
Abstract
The purpose of this research is to investigate the mediating role of social capital in the effect of servant leadership on strategic agility in the tourism industry of Mazandaran province. This study is applied in terms of objective and descriptive-survey (correlational) in terms of data collection method. The statistical population includes all managers and employees of five-star and luxury hotels in Mazandaran province (including Host Babolsar, Parsian Azadi Khazar Chalus, Marvarid Khazar Mahmudabad, Venus Plus Chalus, and Lilium Motel Ghoo), totaling 1,026 individuals. Using Cochran's formula, the sample size was determined to be 280 people, selected via available random sampling. Data collection tools were standard questionnaires of servant leadership by Ruiz-Palomino et al. (2022), strategic agility by Huang (2019) and Klaus et al. (2021), and social capital by Ruiz-Palomino et al. (2022), with validity confirmed by university professors. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 22 and Smart PLS version 4 software in both descriptive and inferential statistics (Structural Equation Modeling) sections. The findings indicated that servant leadership has a significant positive impact on social capital and strategic agility. Furthermore, social capital has a significant impact on strategic agility. Ultimately, the results of the main hypothesis test reveal that social capital plays a significant partial mediating role in the effect of servant leadership on strategic agility in the tourism industry of Mazandaran province. Accordingly, it is suggested that tourism industry managers, by adopting a servant leadership style, provide the groundwork for strengthening social capital and, consequently, enhancing their organization's strategic agility and overall competitive advantage in the dynamic hospitality market.
Keywords
Social Capital
Servant Leadership
Strategic Agility
Tourism Industry
Mazandaran Province
Subjects
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  • Receive Date 24 July 2024
  • Revise Date 27 October 2024
  • Accept Date 19 December 2024