Zooming into paternalistic leadership: evidence from high power distance culture

Abstract

Purpose – Nurses' turnover intention has become a major issue in developing countries with high power distance cultures. Therefore, the authors attempt to investigate how turnover intention among nurses' can be reduced through paternalistic leadership (PL). The authors further investigate the mediating role of job satisfaction between the associations of benevolent, moral and authoritarian dimensions of PL with turnover intention. Finally, the authors examined perceived organizational support (POS) as a conditional variable between job satisfaction and turnover intention. Design/methodology/approach – The authors collected data from 374 nurses working in public and private hospitals of high power distance culture using a questionnaire-based survey on convenience basis. Findings – Structural equation modeling confirms that benevolent and moral dimensions of PL positively affect nurses' job satisfaction which helps them reduce their turnover intention. While the authoritarian dimension of PL negatively affects job satisfaction to further enhance their turnover intention. In addition, the authors noted POS as a conditional variable to trigger the negative effect of job satisfaction on turnover intention. Research limitations/implications – The authors used a cross-sectional design to collect responses and ensured the absence of common method variance through Harman's Single factor test. Originality/value – This study identified the mechanism (job satisfaction and POS) through which benevolent, moral and authoritative dimensions of PL predict turnover intention among nurses working in high power distance culture. 研究目的 – 護士有離職意向，在擁有高權力距離文化的發展中國家，已成為一個重大的問題。因此，我們擬探討如何可以透過採用家長式領導、把護士離職的意欲減低，繼而研究工作滿足感，在離職意向與家長式領導中仁慈、道德和獨裁這三個層面的關係中所起的中介作用。最後，我們就組織支持感，作為是工作滿足感與離職意向之間的一個條件變數，進行了研究。 研究設計/方法/理念 – 本研究透過採用在便利的基礎上進行的問卷調查，從374名在高權力距離文化的公營和私營醫院內工作的護士取得數據，進行分析。 研究結果 – 結構方程模型證實了家長式領導中的仁慈和道德這兩個層面，會對可減低護士離職意欲的工作滿足感，產生積極的影響。家長式領導中的獨裁層面、則會對護士的工作滿足程度產生負面的影響，繼而增強其離職意欲。而且，我們確認了組織支持感是一個會增強工作滿足感與離職意向之間負相聯的條件變數。 研究的局限/啟示 – 我們以橫斷面的設計法來收集回應，並透過採用哈曼 (Harman) 的單因素檢定法，來確保共同方法變異不會存在。 研究的原創性/價值 – 本研究確定了一個 (工作滿足感與組織支持感) 機制，透過這機制，家長式領導中的仁慈、道德和獨裁這三個層面可預測於高權力距離文化工作的護士的離職意向。

Keywords

• Benevolent leadership
• Moral leadership
• Authoritarian leadership
• Job satisfaction
• Turnover intention
• Perceived organizational support