Paternalistic Leadership: A Review and Agenda for Future Research

Abstract

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.

Relationship of Confucian Values to Spiritual Leadership in a South Korean Context

“…Among the relational behaviors explained through Confucianism, social order and harmony are viewed as the primary objectives of Confucianism and are ruled by a rigid hierarchy of expected relational behaviors and moral obligations to harmonize unequal relationships (Kim & Park, 2003;Paik & Sohn, 1998). These obligations are manifest through a sense of reciprocal loyalty between seniors and subordinates that is paternalistic in nature (Paik & Sohn, n. d.;Pellegrini & Scandura, 2008). From an individualist cultural perspective, the superior-subordinate relationship may appear authoritarian, or even dictatorial in nature; however, from a Confucian perspective, these relationships are generally healthy, supportive, moral, and oftentimes, intimate in nature, which sustain social order and balance within organizational cultures, as the moral code of Confucianism does not support one-directional obligations (Yum, 1987).…”

How societal culture influences friction in the employee–organization relationship

“…These types of relationships are often paternalistic (Pellegrini & Scandura, 2008). The more powerful party is expected to act fatherly towards subordinates, looking after the less powerful both in and outside of work, in exchange for the expected contribution of loyalty to the supervisor (Aycan, 2006;Pellegrini & Scandura, 2008;Thomas, et al, 2010).…”

“…These types of relationships are often paternalistic (Pellegrini & Scandura, 2008). The more powerful party is expected to act fatherly towards subordinates, looking after the less powerful both in and outside of work, in exchange for the expected contribution of loyalty to the supervisor (Aycan, 2006;Pellegrini & Scandura, 2008;Thomas, et al, 2010). For example, in China it is common for managers to help their direct report employees find a place to live, receive loans from the bank, gain entrance for their children to prestigious high schools, or even find a spouse (Thomas, et al, 2010).…”

“…For example, in China it is common for managers to help their direct report employees find a place to live, receive loans from the bank, gain entrance for their children to prestigious high schools, or even find a spouse (Thomas, et al, 2010). In-group collectivism has been used to explain why employees in the Middle Eastern and North Africa commonly ask personal favors of their supervisors, and supervisors frequently attend subordinates' family weddings and funerals (Kabasakal, Dastmalchian, Karacay, & Bayraktar, 2012;Pellegrini & Scandura, 2008). Paternalistic supervisors have also been known to offer personal loans to employees (Pellegrini & Scandura, 2008).…”

“…In-group collectivism has been used to explain why employees in the Middle Eastern and North Africa commonly ask personal favors of their supervisors, and supervisors frequently attend subordinates' family weddings and funerals (Kabasakal, Dastmalchian, Karacay, & Bayraktar, 2012;Pellegrini & Scandura, 2008). Paternalistic supervisors have also been known to offer personal loans to employees (Pellegrini & Scandura, 2008). These social obligations to employees are consistent with a relational EOR approach by direct supervisors, encouraging employees to remain loyal to their supervisors (Aycan, 2006).…”