SERVANT LEADERSHIP AND ISO 9001:2015

Phuoc D. Nguyen

Any established organization is intended to seek invisible profits (non-profit organizations, governmental organizations, etc.) or tangible profits (companies, corporations, etc.). Thus, focus on followers for-profit or non-profit are equal. Melchar and Bosco (2010) stated, “The review of servant-leader practices of other for-profit and not-for-profit organizations may continue to increase our understanding of servant-leader behaviors and the degree to which they promote positive work cultures and enhanced organizational performance” (p. 87). To achieve the organizational objectives the follower-first philosophy is critical, but this philosophy is not convincing enough to achieve the organizational objectives. “When servant leadership is established, an organization develops the desired outcomes in the form of organizational citizenship behavior, job satisfaction, and psychological climate” (Ozyilmaz & Cicek, 2015, p. 285). To achieve the organizational objectives organizations implementing ISO 9001: 2015 Standard should integrate servant leadership into their management system.

Advisera (2016) explains the quality management system (QMS) model based on ISO 9001: 2015. Inputs of QMS are customer requirements needs and expectations of interested parties. Based on these inputs of QMS, the servant leader coordinates to implement the cycle of Plan, Do, Check, Act (PDCA) includes planning (P), support and operations (D), performance reviews (Check), and improvements (A) to provide products and services aim to satisfy customer requirements and needs and expectations of interested parties. Palumbo (2016) proposed, “The desire of the leader to serve the followers and his or her willingness to sup­port the other members of the organization whenever possible undermine the em­powerment of the latter” (p. 94). Based on the inputs of QMS that business processes, including all personnel involved in business processes, must meet the needs of internal customers, the output of a process is an input of the next process. That is, leaders must satisfy the needs of their superiors and their peers, leaders satisfy the needs of their followers, and followers must satisfy each other’s needs and satisfy the needs of their leaders to achieve the organizational objectives.