Paternalistic Leadership and Teachers’ Trust in Supervisors: From a Perspective of Self-Determination Theory

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Sunday 1:30 pm Four Seasons Ballroom 1
  In Roundtable Session: International Perspectives on Leadership for School Improvement (Table 1)

Abstract

Subordinates’ trust is critical for a supervisor’s exercise of leadership to effectively influence subordinates’ work outcomes. However, the optimal approach for facilitating trust is still under debate, between instrumentality-based and motivation-based perspectives. On the basis of self-determination theory, the current study explored the direct effects of paternalistic leadership on trust in supervisors and the mediating role of the satisfaction of subordinates’ basic psychological needs. In a survey of 1076 teachers in China, we found that paternalistic leadership affected trust directly, and that subordinates’ need for competence, autonomy, and relatedness also mediated the leadership–trust relationship to different degrees.

Authors

• Zhuang Yi, Chinese National Academy of Arts

• Runjia Tang, Capital Normal University

• Yonghong Cai, Beijing Normal University

• Liang Chen, Beijing Normal University

• Liang Ma, Beijing Normal University