Abstract:
The South African educational system has challenges regarding learner outcomes of previously disadvantaged schools. New
thinking is mandatory, and school leadership needs to play an significant role to improve the status quo. The servant leadership
paradigm may be a substantial factor to counter the challenges. A quantitative approach measured the covariation between
the servant leadership paradigm and its influence on the organizational climate of private schools to learn implementable
lessons. The construct of servant leadership was explored via the Servant Leadership Survey (SLS) of Van Dierendonck and
Nuijten. According to Castro and Martins’s Climate Survey Questionnaire (CSQ), the organizational climate was analyzed.
A total of 249 respondents, all permanently employed as educators from primary and secondary private schools, completed
the survey questionnaires. It was found that private schools’ leadership exhibits the characteristics of the servant leadership
practices of empowerment, stewardship, accountability, and humility. It was confirmed that private school leadership displays
the organizational climate groupings of organizational image, teamwork, work environment, and leadership as priorities that
increase constructive organizational climate in the school setting. Recommendation about the implication of these results to
improve the disadvantaged school environment is discussed.
