IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/kap/asiapa/v41y2024i2d10.1007_s10490-022-09860-7.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The virtue of a controlling leadership style: Authoritarian leadership, work stressors, and leader power distance orientation

Author

Listed:
  • Leni Chen

    (Hong Kong Baptist University)

  • Xu Huang

    (Hong Kong Baptist University)

  • Jian-min Sun

    (Renmin University of China)

  • Yuyan Zheng

    (University of Surrey)

  • Les Graham

    (Durham University)

  • Judy Jiang

    (Hong Kong Baptist University)

Abstract

We developed and tested a theoretical model showing that authoritarian leadership has both positive and negative influences on employees’ work performance. We posited that authoritarian leadership may shape both challenge stressors and hindrance stressors, which compel and undermine in-role and extra-role performance, respectively. We found consistent results across two studies. In Study 1, our results from two samples in different cultures showed that authoritarian leadership was positively related to objective performance (Sample 1: n = 402 Chinese chain restaurant managers) and extra-role performance (Sample 2: n = 369 U.K. police officers) via challenge stressors. Authoritarian leadership was negatively related to objective performance and extra-role performance via hindrance stressors. In Study 2 (n = 195 Chinese power industry employees), we replicated the findings of Study 1. Further, we found that authoritarian leadership behaviors among leaders who scored low on power distance orientation were not negatively related to in-role and extra-role performance via hindrance stressors.

Suggested Citation

  • Leni Chen & Xu Huang & Jian-min Sun & Yuyan Zheng & Les Graham & Judy Jiang, 2024. "The virtue of a controlling leadership style: Authoritarian leadership, work stressors, and leader power distance orientation," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 41(2), pages 507-547, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:asiapa:v:41:y:2024:i:2:d:10.1007_s10490-022-09860-7
    DOI: 10.1007/s10490-022-09860-7
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10490-022-09860-7
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s10490-022-09860-7?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Wu, Min & Huang, Xu & Li, Chenwei & Liu, Wu, 2012. "Perceived Interactional Justice and Trust-in-supervisor as Mediators for Paternalistic Leadership," Management and Organization Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 8(1), pages 97-121, March.
    2. McGrath, Rita Gunther & MacMillan, Ian C. & Yang, Elena Ai-Yuan & Tsai, William, 1992. "Does culture endure, or is it malleable? Issues for entrepreneurial economic development," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 7(6), pages 441-458, November.
    3. Boas Shamir & Robert J. House & Michael B. Arthur, 1993. "The Motivational Effects of Charismatic Leadership: A Self-Concept Based Theory," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 4(4), pages 577-594, November.
    4. Wu, Min & Huang, Xu & Li, Chenwei & Liu, Wu, 2012. "Perceived Interactional Justice and Trust-in-supervisor as Mediators for Paternalistic Leadership," Management and Organization Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 8(01), pages 97-122, March.
    5. Yuyan Zheng & Les Graham & Jiing-Lih Farh & Xu Huang, 2021. "The Impact of Authoritarian Leadership on Ethical Voice: A Moderated Mediation Model of Felt Uncertainty and Leader Benevolence," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 170(1), pages 133-146, April.
    6. Guo, Liang & Decoster, Stijn & Babalola, Mayowa T. & De Schutter, Leander & Garba, Omale A. & Riisla, Katrin, 2018. "Authoritarian leadership and employee creativity: The moderating role of psychological capital and the mediating role of fear and defensive silence," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 219-230.
    7. Zhijun Chen & Riki Takeuchi & Cass Shum, 2013. "A Social Information Processing Perspective of Coworker Influence on a Focal Employee," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 24(6), pages 1618-1639, December.
    8. Junting Lu & Zhe Zhang & Ming Jia, 2019. "Does Servant Leadership Affect Employees’ Emotional Labor? A Social Information-Processing Perspective," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 159(2), pages 507-518, October.
    9. Sebastian Schuh & Xin-an Zhang & Peng Tian, 2013. "For the Good or the Bad? Interactive Effects of Transformational Leadership with Moral and Authoritarian Leadership Behaviors," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 116(3), pages 629-640, September.
    10. Zhang, Yan & Xie, Yun-Hui, 2017. "Authoritarian Leadership and Extra-Role Behaviors: A Role-Perception Perspective," Management and Organization Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 13(1), pages 147-166, March.
    11. Jiing-Lih Farh & Bor-Shiuan Cheng, 2000. "A Cultural Analysis of Paternalistic Leadership in Chinese Organizations," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: J. T. Li & Anne S. Tsui & Elizabeth Weldon (ed.), Management and Organizations in the Chinese Context, chapter 4, pages 84-127, Palgrave Macmillan.
    12. Zheng, Yuyan & Huang, Xu & Graham, Les & Redman, Tom & Hu, Saiquan, 2020. "Deterrence Effects: The Role of Authoritarian Leadership in Controlling Employee Workplace Deviance," Management and Organization Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 16(2), pages 377-404, May.
    13. Min Wu & Xu Huang & Chenwei Li & Wu Liu, 2012. "Perceived Interactional Justice and Trust-in-supervisor as Mediators for Paternalistic Leadership," Management and Organization Review, The International Association for Chinese Management Research, vol. 8(1), pages 97-121, March.
    14. Simon Chan & Wai-ming Mak, 2012. "Benevolent leadership and follower performance: The mediating role of leader–member exchange (LMX)," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 29(2), pages 285-301, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Qiufeng Huang & Kaili Zhang & Yanqun Wang & Ali Ahmad Bodla & Duogang Zhu, 2022. "When Is Authoritarian Leadership Less Detrimental? The Role of Leader Capability," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(1), pages 1-17, December.
    2. Qinxuan Gu & Thomas Tang & Wan Jiang, 2015. "Does Moral Leadership Enhance Employee Creativity? Employee Identification with Leader and Leader–Member Exchange (LMX) in the Chinese Context," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 126(3), pages 513-529, February.
    3. Anand, Amitabh & Dalmasso, Audrey & Vessal, Saeedeh Rezaee & Parameswar, Nakul & Rajasekar, James & Dhal, Manoranjan, 2023. "The effect of job security, insecurity, and burnout on employee organizational commitment," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 162(C).
    4. Lei Yao & Xiao-Ping Chen & Hongguo Wei, 2023. "How do authoritarian and benevolent leadership affect employee work–family conflict? An emotional regulation perspective," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 40(4), pages 1525-1553, December.
    5. Yuyan Zheng & Les Graham & Jiing-Lih Farh & Xu Huang, 2021. "The Impact of Authoritarian Leadership on Ethical Voice: A Moderated Mediation Model of Felt Uncertainty and Leader Benevolence," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 170(1), pages 133-146, April.
    6. Shen, Yimo & Chou, Wan-Ju & Schaubroeck, John M. & Liu, Jun, 2023. "Benevolent leadership, harmonious passion, and employee work behaviors: A multi-level moderated mediation model," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 157(C).
    7. Chiang, Jack Ting Ju & Chen, Xiao Ping & Liu, Haiyang & Akutsu, Satoshi & Wang, Zheng, 2020. "We have emotions but can’t show them! Authoritarian leadership, emotion suppression climate, and team performance," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 104058, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    8. Cai-Hui Veronica Lin & Jian-Min James Sun, 2018. "Chinese employees’ leadership preferences and the relationship with power distance orientation and core self-evaluation," Frontiers of Business Research in China, Springer, vol. 12(1), pages 1-22, December.
    9. Lee, Jeoung Yul & Kim, Sunghoon & Noh, Shinwon & Jang, Seung Hoon & Lee, Sang Youn, 2024. "Paradoxical organizational culture, authoritarian leadership, and international firm performance: evidence from international firms in China," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 30(1).
    10. Tingting Chen & Fuli Li & Kwok Leung, 2017. "Whipping into shape: Construct definition, measurement, and validation of directive-achieving leadership in Chinese culture," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 34(3), pages 537-563, September.
    11. Karakitapoğlu-Aygün, Zahide & Gumusluoglu, Lale & Erturk, Alper & Scandura, Terri A., 2021. "Two to Tango? A cross-cultural investigation of the leader-follower agreement on authoritarian leadership," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 128(C), pages 473-485.
    12. Lei Wang & Meng-Yu Cheng & Song Wang, 2018. "Carrot or Stick? The Role of In-Group/Out-Group on the Multilevel Relationship Between Authoritarian and Differential Leadership and Employee Turnover Intention," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 152(4), pages 1069-1084, November.
    13. Wang, An-Chih & Chiang, Jack Ting-Ju & Tsai, Chou-Yu & Lin, Tzu-Ting & Cheng, Bor-Shiuan, 2013. "Gender makes the difference: The moderating role of leader gender on the relationship between leadership styles and subordinate performance," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 122(2), pages 101-113.
    14. Horak, Sven, 2013. "Cross-cultural experimental economics and indigenous management research: Issues and contributions," Working Papers on East Asian Studies 92/2013, University of Duisburg-Essen, Institute of East Asian Studies IN-EAST.
    15. Zhen Wang & Yuan Liu & Songbo Liu, 2019. "Authoritarian leadership and task performance: the effects of leader-member exchange and dependence on leader," Frontiers of Business Research in China, Springer, vol. 13(1), pages 1-15, December.
    16. Han Ren & Zhengqiang Zhong & Charles Weizheng Chen & Chris Brewster, 2023. "Two-way in-/congruence in three components of paternalistic leadership and subordinate justice: the mediating role of perceptions of renqing," Asian Business & Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 22(2), pages 643-668, April.
    17. Shuang Ren & Yuhua Xie & Ying Zhu & Malcolm Warner, 2018. "New generation employees’ preferences towards leadership style in China," Asia Pacific Business Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 24(4), pages 437-458, August.
    18. Gao Jianzhuang, 2023. "The Influence of Ethical Leadership on Organizational Citizenship Behavior--Workplace Humanization as a Mediating Variable," International Journal of Science and Business, IJSAB International, vol. 20(1), pages 92-108.
    19. Yue Wang & Wenhao Luo & Jing Zhang & Yirong Guo, 2019. "More humility, less counterproductive work behaviors? The role of interpersonal justice and trust," Frontiers of Business Research in China, Springer, vol. 13(1), pages 1-18, December.
    20. Shen Ye & Lu Chen & Yuanmei (Elly) Qu, 2024. "Demystifying Benevolent Leadership: When Subordinates Feel Obligated to Undertake Illegitimate Tasks," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 195(3), pages 537-561, December.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:kap:asiapa:v:41:y:2024:i:2:d:10.1007_s10490-022-09860-7. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.