Historical developments in paternalistic leadership in China

This article critically reviews the historical development in the literature that provided the basis for the establishment of the Chinese version of paternalistic leadership, the most popular, well researched and better established indigenous Chinese theory of leadership. This article centres on the earlier theoretical and conceptual developments of the theory to establish how the current conceptualisations of paternalistic leadership originated. Furthermore, suggestions for further research avenues are presented for scholars to address and further advance the knowledge in the field of leadership in a Chinese cultural environment; arguably, the main limitation of the current conceptualisations of paternalist leadership is that it does not account for the roles of women in leadership positions

Understanding paternalistic leadership: How to work with Chinese leaders

The last decade, Chinese companies began to venture beyond their borders and invest internationally. Some examples include Lenovo taking over the computer division of IBM and Huawei, soon to become the largest cell phone manufacturer, expanding relentlessly. As a result, many Westerners now effectively work for Chinese organizations but often face confusion due to little understanding of Chinese culture. Paternalistic leadership (PL) is the most common leadership style in China. It is deeply embedded in Chinese traditions and customs reflecting the culture and society (Wu and Xu, 2012). This article developed from both a review of the literature on PL and 45 in-depth interviews with Chinese leaders and their subordinates (Sposato, 2016). This systematic data collection is coupled with lived experience, as the author lived, worked, and studied in China for three years. The article’s aim is to make the academic literature on PL accessible and lend a practical application through advice for those unfamiliar with PL. An explanation of leadership style and leader behaviors is offered to foster cultural understanding, before suggestions of how to behave in these circumstances

Female leadership in Hong Kong

This thesis investigates how the Chinese version of paternalistic leadership theory, a male-biased theory of leadership, influences the expectations surrounding the traditional role of women in Chinese cultural settings. A critical review of the literature concerning Chinese leadership highlights the failure of the hegemonic conceptualisation of paternalistic leadership to take into account women in managerial positions. Addressing this omission, this thesis focuses on how ethnically Chinese female leaders lead in Hong Kong and how they execute their leadership role. This focus is achieved by addressing the gap in current knowledge regarding ethnically Chinese female leaders in Hong Kong and how they experience their leadership role from a feminist postcolonial perspective. The research takes the form of a case study, focusing on a Hong Kong based trading organisation, utilising a qualitative methodology including interviews, document analysis and Government policies. Yet, to achieve a holistic view of the current case, the case study takes a multilevel approach to its analysis including several actors, such as the Hong Kong Government, interest groups, the organisation, managers and their subordinates. This research project examines how these managers negotiate postcolonial issues such as Othering, mimicry and hybridity to fulfil their social roles as women in a Chinese cultural society in addition to their leadership responsibilities, which quite often contradict each other. The thesis presents a new understanding of how women lead, negotiate demands and prioritise both their professional and personal lives, ultimately presenting a conceptualisation that takes paternalistic leadership as a starting point, but incorporates the singularities of being an ethnic Chinese woman in Hong Kong

Understanding paternalistic leadership: a guide for managers considering foreign assignments

Many leadership theories currently competing for our attention – for example, authentic leadership, transformational leadership and servant leadership – are familiar models to anyone educated in a business institution that, broadly speaking, follows a Western curriculum. However, as managers who do business globally can attest, human interaction and relations, and especially leadership, are directly linked to culture and cultural expectations. What works for a leader depends to a large extent on his or her organization’s cultural context. For instance, in Scandinavian countries, leaders act more as facilitators, yet in Arab countries leaders are expected to make all decisions, give orders and be obeyed. One of the best known researchers into such national differences in their norms of leadership and followership, Geert Hofstede, identified six dimensions: Power Distance (how power is distributed), Uncertainty Avoidance, Individualism/Collectivism, Masculinity/Femininity, Long/Short Term Orientation and Indulgence/Restraint. All of these are relevant to managers from outside the culture seeking to appreciate its particular expectation of what makes a good leader and a good follower. Failure to recognize how these dimensions determine an organization’s normative behavior will undoubtedly lead to misunderstandings, and perhaps to conflict and poor performanc

Gender and paternalistic leadership in a Chinese cultural context, a critical review, and future research trajectories

This article critically reviews paternalistic leadership in Chinese cultural societies. This paper highlights the omission of gender elements in the conceptualisation, consequently leading to a male bias understanding of leadership in a Chinese cultural context. A critical review of the literature is presented, based on historical developments of the indigenous Chinese model of paternalistic leadership, a conceptualisation with roots in Confucian doctrine, and on the traditional gender roles in society but that ultimately does not account for social changes. This review summarises the main contributions to the literature and its findings, critically analysing its limitations. Research trajectories are suggested as a way to further research on paternalistic leadership, most notable being the gender bias problems that the paternalism has and its need for a modern update. A post-colonial feminist approach is suggested as a complement for the limitations of paternalistic leadership, as well as for its contextualisation in non-western societies

A critical perspective on gender and paternalistic leadership in China

Women have made significant social advancements in recent times in China, but as in most of the world they still face barriers to leadership positions. This is even (re)presented in the most popular indigenous Chinese theory of leadership: Paternalistic Leadership (PL). As a theory, PL overlooks the potential of women leaders. Acknowledging what may be understood as epistemological sexism, this article critically analyses PL as the dominant theoretical framework for the study of leadership in China. Gender bias inherent within the theory, and even its name. This is identified as a key weakness for its application. The use of a Postcolonial feminist leans to address this gender bias is introduced, applying concepts like Othering, Norm, and essentialisism. This article highlights the utility of postcolonial feminism to PL studies by introducing a conceptual toolkit for future researchers

Relative clauses in Xong (Miao-Yao)

This paper provides an overview of relative clause constructions in Xong (Miao-Yao). Xong features an unusual number of distinct relative clause types, including some that obligatorily precede their head noun, others that obligatorily follow it, and still others that occur in either position. They occur with zero, one, or two relative clause markers. These formal variations are often accompanied by varying restrictions on possible roles of the head noun. Typologically rare aspects of Xong relative clauses – including pre-head relative clauses in a VO language, and pre-head relative clauses marked with an initial relativizing particle – are also discussedAustralian National Universit

Trattamento EVAR della patologia aneurismatica addominale: complicanze precoci e tardive

L’EVAR (endovascular aortic repair) è una metodica di trattamento che prevede il posizionamento per via endoluminale di una endoprotesi coperta all’interno della sacca aneurismatica, escludendo così la stessa dalla circolazione sistemica in modo da prevenirne l’accrescimento e quindi la rottura. Indubbiamente, l’introduzione di questa metodica ha rivoluzionato il trattamento non solo della patologia aneurismatica dell’aorta addominale ma anche di patologie associate ed in particolare delle patologie neoplastiche del colon, del rene etc. L’Evar si propone come alternativa di trattamento mininvasivo soprattutto in termini di riduzione dei tempi operatori, di degenza e ritorno allo svolgimento delle attività quotidiane. Nonostante gli indubbi vantaggi, rimane comunque un trattamento non scevro da complicanze sia a lungo che a breve termine. Importante quindi la giusta selezione dei pazienti basata su criteri biologico clinici e anatomo morfologici

Trattamento EVAR della patologia aneurismatica addominale: complicanze precoci e tardive

L’EVAR (endovascular aortic repair) è una metodica di trattamento che prevede il posizionamento per via endoluminale di una endoprotesi coperta all’interno della sacca aneurismatica, escludendo così la stessa dalla circolazione sistemica in modo da prevenirne l’accrescimento e quindi la rottura. Indubbiamente, l’introduzione di questa metodica ha rivoluzionato il trattamento non solo della patologia aneurismatica dell’aorta addominale ma anche di patologie associate ed in particolare delle patologie neoplastiche del colon, del rene etc. L’Evar si propone come alternativa di trattamento mininvasivo soprattutto in termini di riduzione dei tempi operatori, di degenza e ritorno allo svolgimento delle attività quotidiane. Nonostante gli indubbi vantaggi, rimane comunque un trattamento non scevro da complicanze sia a lungo che a breve termine. Importante quindi la giusta selezione dei pazienti basata su criteri biologico clinici e anatomo morfologici