Can Paternalistic Leadership Promote Chinese College Teachers’ Creativity? Understanding the Mediating Role of Creative Self-Efficacy

Abstract

The purpose of the current study was to explore the effects of three dimensions of paternalistic leadership (i.e., authoritarian leadership, benevolent leadership, and moral leadership) on the creativity of Chinese college teachers. Based on social cognitive theory, the mediating role of creative self-efficacy in the relationship between the three dimensions of paternalistic leadership and creativity was also investigated. A questionnaire survey methodology was adopted with data collected from a sample of 775 college teachers as participants in the Shandong province of China. The results revealed college teachers’ perceived benevolent leadership and moral leadership had a significant positive impact on their creativity; perceived authoritarian leadership, however, demonstrated a significant negative effect on creativity; creativity self-efficacy was reported to partially or completely mediate between all three dimensions of perceived paternalistic leadership and creativity. These findings provided theoretical and practical insights for enhancing creativity among college teachers. College leaders are encouraged to exhibit benevolent and moral leadership behaviors while limiting authoritarian leadership behaviors. It is also recommended that colleges introduce management practices such as training and creative development tutorials to improve the creative self-efficacy of college teachers and enhance their creativity.