Servant leadership and job satisfaction in medical assistants: mediating effect of work-life balance and burnout

Purpose The purpose of this research is to investigate the impact of servant leadership on the job satisfaction of medical assistants (MAs) in healthcare organizations across the United States of America, focusing primarily on the mediating effects of work-life balance (WLB) and burnout. Design/methodology/approach This study adopted a quantitative, non-experimental, correlational and cross-sectional design. It utilizes Hayes's PROCESS model 4 with bootstrapping to test the hypotheses. Data were collected from 998 certified MAs in healthcare organizations in the United States of America using a purposive and convenience sampling method. Findings The study finds that servant leadership positively predicts job satisfaction and WLB and negatively predicts burnout; servant leadership has a partial mediating effect on job satisfaction in the presence of both mediators. Research limitations/implications The purposive and convenience sampling procedure decreased the generalizability of the findings. While survey of a broader sample of MAs was attempted, only a small percentage of the respondents were from healthcare organizations, and a majority of the participants were from the professional organization, the American Association of Medical Assistants. Using a quantitative approach did not allow for gathering information as in-depth as could be obtained with qualitative research. Although the study was open to all genders among the target population, the results were oriented towards the female population, since a majority of MAs were female. Practical implications The findings from this study support that servant leadership influences the job satisfaction of MAs. Additionally, servant leadership can be utilized to improve compassion and understanding, increase communication, improve WLB and reduce burnout and maintain the well-being of MAs, which will significantly enhance the job satisfaction of the MAs. Furthermore, healthcare leaders and administrators may focus on creating a trusting relationship and empowering their MAs by displaying servant leadership characteristics. Overall, the research implications are that the perception of servant leadership positively impacts the job satisfaction of MAs. Social implications The study validates the servant leadership theory, which operates primarily on empathy, in which the leader is a servant first and primarily focuses on the needs of the subordinates, which resonates with the MAs who put others first (Liden et al., 2008). Next, the study validates the boundary theory with servant leadership supporting employees' well-being, with WLB as a mediator. The study also validates the job demands-resources model of burnout, demonstrating that burnout negatively impacts job satisfaction. Originality/value The study examines whether servant leadership is a valuable leadership style positively impacting MAs' job satisfaction through improved WLB and reduced burnout. These findings support the theoretical frameworks applied and add to the existing literature of MAs, servant leadership and healthcare studies.