The growing interest in paternalistic leadership research has led to a recent proliferation of diverse definitions and perspectives, as well as a limited number of empirical studies. Consequently, the diversity of perspectives has resulted in conceptual ambiguities, as well as contradictory empirical findings. In this article, the authors review research on paternalistic leadership in an effort to assess the current state of the literature. They investigate the construct of paternalistic leadership and review the findings related to its outcomes and antecedents as well as the various measurement scales used in paternalistic leadership research. On the basis of this review, the article concludes with an agenda for future theoretical and empirical research on this emerging and intriguing new area for leadership research.

Although businesses increasingly operate across cultures, there is a paucity of research that examines the influence of national culture on leadership practices. This study uses a structural equation modeling approach to investigate relationships among leader–member exchange (LMX), delegation, paternalism, and job satisfaction in Turkish business organizations. Results from a survey study of N=185 full-time employees from Turkish companies support the relationship of LMX to delegation and job satisfaction. However, the effect of LMX on job satisfaction is mediated by paternalism, an emic cultural dimension. Results suggest that delegation might not be an effective management tool in the Middle Eastern context. Journal of International Business Studies (2006) 37, 264–279. doi:10.1057/palgrave.jibs.8400185

Paternalism is an emerging concept with significant potential for international leadership research. Paternalistic leaders combine benevolence with authority. Paternalism is a prevalent leadership style in non-Western business organizations. In this article, the authors extend research on paternalism to the Western business context. They compare the attitudes of employees from the United States ( N = 215) and India ( N = 207) with respect to paternalistic leadership and its correlates. Paternalism had a significant positive effect on job satisfaction in India, but the relationship was not significant in the United States. In both cultural contexts, paternalistic leadership was positively related to leader—member exchange and organizational commitment. Results suggest paternalistic leadership may generalize across cultures.

No abstract

No abstract