Paternalistic leadership and knowledge sharing with outsiders in emerging economies. Based on social exchange relations within the China context
| Published date | 06 August 2018 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/PR-03-2017-0068 |
| Pages | 1094-1115 |
| Date | 06 August 2018 |
| Author | Jeoung Yul Lee,Seung Hoon Jang,Sang Youn Lee |
| Subject Matter | HR & organizational behaviour,Global HRM |
Paternalistic leadership and
knowledge sharing with outsiders
in emerging economies
Based on social exchange relations within the
China context
Jeoung Yul Lee
National Research Base of Intelligent Manufacturing Service,
Chongqing Technology and Business University, Chongqing, China and
School of Business Management, Hongik University,
Sejong, Republic of Korea
Seung Hoon Jang
Zeigler College of Business Administration,
Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, USA, and
Sang Youn Lee
Department of Chinese Language and Chinese Studies, Hoseo University,
Cheonan, Republic of Korea
Abstract
Purpose –The purposeof this paper is to examine knowledgesharing with externalpartners within the China
context, demonstrating that paternalistic leadership combined with the resulting reciprocal relations between
leadersand employees are accountablefor knowledge transfer withexternal partners basedon social exchange.
Design/methodology/approach –This study collected data at two time-points and obtained 391 usable
observations for hypothesis testing using questionnaire surveys administered to the managers of major
Chinese companies.
Findings –Empirical analysis of employees at major Chinese firms shows that paternalistic leadership may
encourage perceived reciprocal support from employees that results in smooth knowledge sharing with
outsiders in the form of voluntary helping behaviors.
Originality/value –This study expects that both scholars and practitioners will gain answers on how to
best encourage employees into contributing toward relationships with external stakeholders within the China
context. One valuable point in this study is demonstrating that Chinese firms’benevolent leadership promotes
human relationships and thereby long-term relationships with alliance partners, while their moral leadership
promotes ethical trust between alliance partners. These factors may accordingly further increase knowledge
sharing opportunities with external partners.
Keywords China, Knowledge sharing, Quantitative, Social exchange, Paternalistic leadership,
Perceived leadership support (PLS), Perceived organizational support (POS)
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
Paternalistic leadership is considered a major topic in leadership research (Pellegrini and
Scandura, 2008).It refers to, “a fatherlike leadershipstyle in which clear and strong authority
is combined with concern and considerateness and elements of moral leadership (Fahr and
Cheng, 2000, p. 85).”Although paternalisticleaders are different from real parents, they may
interact with younger employees on certain important topics and light personal issues.
Individuals working under paternalistic leaders are more likely to implement voluntary as
well as obligatorytasks based on perceivedreciprocity. Paternalisticleadership is also a major
leadership style in China (Cheng et al., 2004). Chinese employees are more likely to accept
Personnel Review
Vol. 47 No. 5, 2018
pp. 1094-1115
© Emerald PublishingLimited
0048-3486
DOI 10.1108/PR-03-2017-0068
Received 12 March 2017
Revised 12 March 2017
27 October 2017
Accepted 21 April 2018
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/0048-3486.htm
1094
PR
47,5
different treatment based on status given the relatively high level of power distance
(Brockner et al., 2001), and often expecting supervisors to behave like parents or drill
sergeants. Leaders in this culture are accordingly expected to give direct orders, discipline,
and evaluations as well as take interest in employees’personal and work-related issues.
Employers who providethis expected style of leadership promote employee satisfaction and
improved performance. Scholars accordingly suggest that leaders should demonstrate a
paternalistic, moralistic and harmony-oriented leadership within the Chinese context vs a
bureaucratic leadership style following the western model (Ng, 2010). Lee (2013) uses results
from in-depth interviews with Chinese entrepreneurs and managers in order to demonstrate
that there is a positive effect from Confucianism on paternalistic leadership styles that
promotes benevolent, moral, and authoritarian leadership. These leadership styles are
particularly useful in explaining various workplace outcomes in China (Cheng et al., 2004;
Chen et al., 2014).
Chinese employees are more likely to learn additional work-related skills when
supervisors care for and discipline them like parents. Cheng et al. (2004) also note that
paternalistic leadership is widely used within Chinese firms. Western multinational
corporations may therefore find that Chinese employees respond more favorably to this type
of leadership vs those operating within the home country. These studies imply that scholars
and practitioners must understand paternalistic leadership’s impact on organizational
performance within the local context; otherwise, firms may not compete successfully and
create value as expected in China.
Scholars such as Chen et al. (2014) focus on social exchange as one of main factors
explaining how three dimensions of paternalistic leadership –benevolence, morality, and
authoritarianism –are practiced within the Chinese context. Paternalistic leadership is
accountable for both obligatory and voluntary work performance in Chinese culture
via affective trust (Chen et al., 2014). Employees are therefore more likely to maintain
mutually beneficial emotional relationships with paternalistic leaders. Since paternalistic
leadership is expected of Chinese employees, employees reward this relationship by
contributing voluntary to their employers via reciprocal relations with supervisors,
colleagues, and firms.
Knowledge sharing as a voluntary beneficial behavior is another major contributor to
work performance, including innovation (Connelly and Kelloway, 2003). Scholars such as
Srivastaba et al. (2006) demonstrate that leadership style often accounts for the success or
failure of knowledge transfer within a given business context. Proper encouragement
motivatesemployees to share knowledge thatfacilitates work tasks withothers, however, less
attention hasbeen paid regarding the role of paternalisticleadership in explaining knowledge
sharing with external stakeholders. This is particularly relevant when considering the
importance of collaboration and networking within a knowledge-based environment.
This study focuses on paternalistic leaders’influence on employees’intentions toward
sharing knowledge beyond the firm’s organizational boundaries. This study provides our
hypotheses based on the literature of paternalistic leadership and knowledge sharing, using
a structural equation modeling method for empirical analysis. Finally, this study discusses
the implications and limitations of this paper. This study expects that scholars and
practitioners will gain an in-depth understanding of the relationship between paternalistic
leadership and external knowledge sharing via the emotional bonds created between
employees and leaders or employers.
Paternalistic leadership, knowledge sharing and social exchanges
The key features of paternalistic leadership include benevolence, morality, and
authoritarian leadership (Fahr and Cheng, 2000; Cheng et al., 2004; Pellegrini and
Scandura, 2008). Cheng et al. (2004) reference Fahr and Cheng’s (2000) framework regarding
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