In this study, we extend servant leadership research to employee social context of workgroup membership. Drawing upon social comparison theory and integrating with social exchange theory, we introduce the concept of relative servant leadership (RSL; defined as a focal employee's perceived servant leadership relative to the average group level of servant leadership perceived by coworkers) to examine the role of workgroup social comparison in shaping employee reciprocation towards supervisor in response to their relative servant leadership style. Specifically, we present and test a model of mediating effects of employee LMXSC (LMX social comparison) as well as relative i-deals on the relationship between supervisor relative servant leadership and employee citizenship behaviors directed at supervisors (i.e., OCBS). We further contend that supervisor interactional justice strengthens the positive relationship between relative servant leadership and LMXSC, and relative i-deals. Finally, we suggest patterns of moderation-mediation relationship where interactional justice moderates the indirect relationship between supervisor relative servant leadership and OCBS via both LMXSC and relative i-deals. The results of multilevel modeling of data gathered from 268 employees and 58 supervisors in Study 1, and 520 employees and 68 supervisors in Study 2 supported our hypotheses. Supported by our study results, we assert that viewing servant leadership effects on employee behavior in isolation may represent an imperfect picture, and accounting for employees’ workgroup membership and context is critical.
