Abstract
Paternalistic leadership, which combines strong discipline and authority with fatherly benevolence and moral integrity couched in a ‘personalistic’ atmosphere, has been found to be prevalent in overseas Chinese family businesses (CFBs). After critically reviewing the extant literature, we identify three constituent elements of paternalistic leadership (PL): authoritarianism, benevolence and moral leadership. We trace the deep cultural roots of each element and explore their relevance to organizations in contemporary Chinese societies. We then identify key research issues and propose a preliminary PL model for future studies on leadership in Chinese organizations.
The authors would like to express their sincere appreciation to Xiaoping Chen, Madan Pillutla, Anne S. Tsui and Katherine Xin for their comments on an earlier version of this chapter.
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Farh, JL., Cheng, BS. (2000). A Cultural Analysis of Paternalistic Leadership in Chinese Organizations. In: Li, J.T., Tsui, A.S., Weldon, E. (eds) Management and Organizations in the Chinese Context. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230511590_5
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