Abstract

The field of leadership development is vast and there is a need for research-based measurement practices in order to move the body of knowledge forward in theoretical, practical, and empirical directions. Day and Dragoni (2015) suggested a gap exists in the leadership development space specific to empirical findings and Leroy et al. (2022) pushed this call to include evidence regarding programmatic efforts directed at developing current and future leaders. In this paper, we highlight one university-based program of study focused on developing servant-leaders as well as the need for a measurement tool that will provide results showing program effectiveness by way of students’ knowledge base before and after completing the program. This paper is focused on establishing a rationale not only for creating a knowledge rather than opinion, behavior, attitude instrument but for utilizing less traditional measurement methods to validate as well as analyze data. Specifically, we make a case for following Rasch measurement principles, an approach within the broad literature on Item Response Theory models, rather than Classical Test Theory. Following an argument for this measurement approach, a plan for a new research agenda is shared in order to illuminate the path toward a validated Servant-Leadership Knowledge Scale (SLKS).

Recommended Citation

Doyle, Lori and Ludlow, Larry H. (2025) "A Reconceptualization of Servant-Leadership and Measurement," International Journal of Servant-Leadership: Vol. 19, Article 16.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.64749/2160-8172 & 2160-8164.1440
Available at: https://repository.gonzaga.edu/ijsl/vol19/iss1/16