Stewardship Management in Organizational Contexts:  A Paradigm for Sustainable and Ethical Leadership

Rupesh Chandrasen Londhe

doi:10.51584/IJRIAS.2026.110200119

Stewardship Management in Organizational Contexts: A Paradigm for Sustainable and Ethical Leadership

Authors

Associate Professor- Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed to be University) Institute of Hotel Management and catering technology, Pune (India)

Article Information

DOI: 10.51584/IJRIAS.2026.110200119

Subject Category: Management

Volume/Issue: 11/2 | Page No: 1309-1315

Publication Timeline

Submitted: 2026-02-27

Accepted: 2026-03-04

Published: 2026-03-18

Abstract

Stewardship management represents a transformative paradigm in organizational leadership, emphasizing responsibility, accountability, trust, and sustainability over short-term efficiency. This research develops a comprehensive theoretical and empirical framework for stewardship management, integrating governance theory, psychological foundations, stakeholder perspectives, and quantitative validation. Using regression modeling, the study demonstrates that stewardship orientation significantly predicts organizational performance, mediated by employee engagement and stakeholder trust. The findings contribute to organizational theory by empirically validating stewardship as a robust governance alternative to agency-based models. Sectoral applications across corporate organizations, higher education institutions, and nonprofit sectors are explored, with specific attention to emerging governance contexts in India.

Keywords

Stewardship theory, organizational governance, stakeholder trust, employee engagement, ESG, sustainable leadership

Downloads

PDF JATS XML

References

1. Ashforth, B. E., & Mael, F. (1989). Social identity theory and the organization. Academy of Management Review, 14(1), 20–39. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.1989.4278999 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. Davis, J. H., Schoorman, F. D., & Donaldson, L. (1997). Toward a stewardship theory of management. Academy of Management Review, 22(1), 20–47. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.1997.9707180258 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2000). The “what” and “why” of goal pursuits: Human needs and selfdetermination of behavior. Psychological Inquiry, 11(4), 227–268. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15327965PLI1104_01 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. Dirks, K. T., & Ferrin, D. L. (2002). Trust in leadership: Meta-analytic findings and implications. Journal of Applied Psychology, 87(4), 611–628. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. Donaldson, L., & Davis, J. H. (1991). Stewardship theory or agency theory: CEO governance and shareholder returns. Australian Journal of Management, 16(1), 49–64. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. Eccles, R. G., Ioannou, I., & Serafeim, G. (2014). The impact of corporate sustainability on organizational processes and performance. Management Science, 60(11), 2835–2857. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. Freeman, R. E. (1984). Strategic management: A stakeholder approach. Pitman. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

9. Jensen, M. C., & Meckling, W. H. (1976). Theory of the firm: Managerial behavior, agency costs and ownership structure. Journal of Financial Economics, 3(4), 305–360. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

10. Madison, K., Holt, D. T., Kellermanns, F. W., & Ranft, A. L. (2016). Viewing family firm behavior and governance through the lens of agency and stewardship theories. Family Business Review, 29(1), 65–93. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

11. Saks, A. M. (2006). Antecedents and consequences of employee engagement. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 21(7), 600–619. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]