Servant leadership and employee learning: examining the influence of happiness at work and psychological capital

Purpose This study examines how servant leadership (SL) fosters employee learning (EL) in public sector organizations through the mediating role of happiness at work (HAW: job engagement, job satisfaction and job affective commitment) and the moderating role of psychological capital (PC). Drawing on self-determination theory, we test how SL builds positive work attitudes that translate into higher individual learning and whether this pathway is stronger for employees with greater PC. Design/methodology/approach Survey data were collected from 269 managerial-level employees in a large Indian public-sector mining and energy organization. Validated scales captured SL, HAW components, EL and PC. Reliability and validity were established via exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis; common method bias and multicollinearity checks were satisfactory. Hypotheses were tested using Hayes PROCESS Model 5, controlling for demographic covariates. Findings SL has a positive effect on HAW (engagement, satisfaction and affective commitment) and EL. EL was enhanced by engagement and affective commitment, while the satisfaction–learning link was non-significant. SL exerted significant indirect effect on EL via engagement and affective commitment, indicating partial and complementary mediation alongside a positive direct effect between SL and EL. PC strengthened the SL-EL relationship; conditional effects were significant at low, average and high PC, strongest at high PC. Research limitations/implications This study does not account for high conflation among various leadership styles. Moreover, cross-sectional, single-organization, self-report data limit causal inference and generalizability. Future studies should employ longitudinal/multi-source designs, compare sectors and probe other well-being-oriented leadership styles. Practical implications Organizations–especially public-sector learning contexts–can enhance individual learning by cultivating servant leadership behaviours that elevate engagement and affective commitment, and investing in development of PC. Originality/value This study contributes to the literature on organizational learning by providing a basis for understanding the mediating mechanism through which servant leadership influences HAW and, ultimately, employee via the synergistic interaction with employee PC. The findings emphasize the role of servant leaders that cater to employees' personal and professional growth needs and thus ensuring employee well-being and learning at work. This is the first attempt to examine the mediation of HAW in the servant leadership-learning relationship, contingent on employees' PC.