Authoritarian Leadership Research Articles

The Formation and Resilience of Law-Abiding Attitudes under Authoritarianism: The Case of Russia

Authoritarian leaders frequently send mixed messages about law. While official rhetoric typically emphasizes obeying law, leaders have proven willing to sidestep the law when it proves inconvenient. We explore the impact of this duality on the attitudes of Russian citizens, drawing on three rounds of the Russian Longitudinal Monitoring Survey. To identify the separate effects of cohort, age, and survey year, we use existing estimates of a function relating age to the predisposition to form new attitudes. Our results indicate that one factor driving Russians' attitudes on law-abiding is the strength of the Kremlin's messaging on the importance of obeying the law especially in their formative years. This effect would have been strongest for the oldest Russians. Yet, ceteris paribus, more years lived in Russia lead to declines in law-abiding attitudes. The net result of these two effects is that older Russians profess greater law abidingness. Putin's emphasis on obeying the laws on the books has left its mark in the increasing prevalence of law-abiding attitudes.

Leadership Styles and the Level of Skills Awareness among Student Leaders at a State University

Leadership plays a crucial role in creating a vision, pursuing a mission, and establishing organizational strategies. People express their leadership styles in various ways. A leader's effectiveness is defined by their performance in directing and influencing activities to achieve objectives (Dabke, 2016). This quantitative study investigated the relationship between leadership styles and skills awareness among student leaders at a state university. Utilizing a structured questionnaire, the study examined four definite leadership styles: Authoritative, Democratic, Facilitative, and Situational, alongside an extensive Skills Awareness Scale. A purposive sample of 43 student leaders, primarily under the age of 23, were included in the study. Of these, 61.9 % were female and 38.1 % were male. To examine the relationships between skill awareness and leadership methods, data were gathered and analyzed using ANOVA, multiple regression, chi-square tests, and descriptive statistics. The results of the study showed a moderate level of general skills awareness (mean = 3.341), suggesting a considerable amount of room for skill development. Although student leaders showed flexibility to many leadership styles, the authoritative approach stood out as uniquely significant. Students with more authoritative tendencies are likely to have better skills awareness, according to a statistically significant link between skills awareness and authoritative leadership (r = 0.318, p .040). No statistically significant differences in leadership styles were found by the one-way ANOVA test (p =.193), suggesting that student leaders take a flexible, nuanced approach rather than rigidly following one leadership styles. With the exception of the authoritative style, the Kruskal-Wallis test further demonstrated that leadership styles do not substantially alter levels of skill awareness. These results highlight the value of focused leadership development initiatives that support student leaders in developing their skills, especially in establishing authoritative leadership traits. The study advances knowledge of the intricate relationships between developing student leaders' leadership styles and skill awareness.

Leadership in higher education and societal transformation—Universities as catalyst for societal well-being

Leadership and the academic freedom of the Universities in a digitally changing world are the generators of innovation in society. This study is a qualitative and quantitative empirical research of the Leadership at the public and private Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Kosovo, that examines their communication, authoritarian or liberal communication, and dominant perceptions and attitudes towards social, political, and financial strategies in HEI as a basis of social and economic wellbeing. The theory of research, as elaborated by Tight (2022), emphasizes the evolving nature of academic inquiry and the significance of context in shaping research practices. Waite (2013) highlights the pivotal role of communication strategies in determining the effectiveness of both democratic and authoritarian leadership styles. Effective communication in democratic leadership fosters transparency and collaboration, while in authoritarian leadership, it can be used to consolidate control and manage dissent The research was conducted at public and private HEI, through personal interviews and a structured questionnaire, which was carried out by the staff of higher management of HEI, academic staff, administrative staff, and students of the public and private Universities. The results demonstrated that academic and financial autonomy has a high impact on academic ethics and academic integrity and has a high impact on the increase of the economy and well-being in society, compared with the lack of academic and financial autonomy and interference of politics in the management of HEI which has an impact on lower quality and integrity of HEI in society. Leaders of Universities need to think about new leadership models more socially responsible and more ecologically sensible consumption oriented, from Society, to society for society.

The Crown must always win: Rethinking authentic leadership through ‘The Crown’ series

Abstract This research explores the theory of authentic leadership and the critiques on the theory by analyzing the portrayals of Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Diana, and Margaret Thatcher in season 4 of the Netflix’s series The Crown. Utilizing directed qualitative content analysis, we seek to understand how authenticity in leadership is manifested, its limitations, and the role of gender within this framework. The investigation highlights the challenges leaders face between expected role fulfillment and genuine self-expression. It explores the benefits and drawbacks of authenticity, the attribution of authenticity when the leaders deviate from the formal roles, the nature of the role as influencing the expression of authenticity (e.g., degrees of freedom associated with each role) and the complex interaction between gender and authenticity. In response to these findings, the concept of ‘leader bounded authenticity’ is proposed, suggesting a balance between adhering to the formal role and the display of authentic leadership.

The impact of team cohesion on athlete engagement in collegiate basketball leagues: the moderating role of paternalistic leadership

ObjectiveThis study investigates the impact of team cohesion on the engagement of college basketball players, and examines the moderating effects of authoritarian, benevolent, and moral leadership styles within paternalistic leadership on this influence. This provides theoretical insights for improving athlete engagement.MethodsData from 404 athletes participating in the 26th China Collegiate Basketball League were collected through a questionnaire survey and analyzed statistically.Results(1) Team cohesion has a significant positive impact on athlete engagement in collegiate basketball players. (2) Authoritarian leadership has a significant negative moderating effect on the relationship between team cohesion and athlete engagement in collegiate basketball players; the stronger the authoritarian leadership, the weaker the positive impact of team cohesion on athlete engagement in collegiate basketball players. This effect diminishes and becomes statistically insignificant when the authoritarian leadership score exceeds 5.88. (3) Benevolent leadership does not have a significant moderating effect between team cohesion and athlete engagement in collegiate basketball players. (4) Moral leadership has a significant positive moderating effect on the relationship between team cohesion and athlete engagement in collegiate basketball players; the higher the moral leadership, the stronger the positive impact of team cohesion on athlete engagement in collegiate basketball players, which becomes insignificant when the moral leadership score is below 2.75.ConclusionEnhancing team cohesion is an effective method to increase athlete engagement in collegiate basketball players. It is advisable for collegiate basketball coaches to refrain from adopting controlling and demeaning authoritative approaches, and instead, emphasize ethical leadership practices, continually enhancing their own abilities and virtues to serve as role models.

“Do leaders change?”: A review of the contrasting behaviors of political leaders in ordinary-extraordinary situations

The images of political leaders are affected by various factors such as their personality traits, leadership skills, behaviors, and attitudes. In times of crisis, the communication skills, leadership skills, and decision-making processes of political leaders are of great importance. The extraordinary situations brought about by the global pandemic constituted the focus of this study in order to determine and compare the behaviors of leaders in both ordinary and extraordinary conditions. In the study, the biographies, relevant scientific research, media, and official statements of the leaders of countries such as Germany, America, China, England, and Russia were transferred to the NVivo 10 program and examined, considering their pre-pandemic situations. The findings obtained reveal that the behaviors of leaders in ordinary and extraordinary situations vary. Angela Merkel moved away from stability during the period of uncertainty; Vladimir Putin maintained his authoritarian and oppressive leadership, but shifted from ideological leadership to pragmatic leadership. Boris Johnson, while defined as an ideological leader, has occasionally exhibited pragmatic behaviors. Donald Trump, on the other hand, adopted a pragmatic approach in ordinary times, but tried to strengthen this approach even further in extraordinary times.

The relationship of paternalistic leadership and organizational commitment

Paternalistic leadership is reported to have a favourable correlation with employee organisational commitment. This commitment is provided in exchange for the paternalistic leaders' care, attention, and protection of employees in both professional and personal contexts. Nonetheless, numerous further research have identified a negative tendency in this association. This research employed a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) utilising PRISMA as the principal procedure, identifying 16 articles published from 2014 to July 2024 that investigate the correlation between paternalistic leadership and organisational commitment. This relationship is delineated through two frameworks: firstly, paternalistic leadership induces varying degrees of employee organisational commitment; secondly, organisational commitment serves as a mediator between paternalistic leadership and other variables. From these two schemes, it is evident that (i) a positive correlation exists between benevolence and moral leadership and organisational commitment, albeit with variations in the types of commitment elicited by these leadership dimensions; (ii) authoritarian leadership elicits a negative reaction towards two forms of organisational commitment (affective and normative) among employees, while inducing a marginally positive response towards continuance commitment; and (iii) organisational commitment as a mediator exhibits a "inconclusive" effect.

Impact of Inclusive Leadership on Innovative Work Behavior with Mediating Role of Work Engagement and Moderating Role of Perceived Job Autonomy

This study aims to investigate the effect of inclusive leadership on innovative work behavior in the field of education. It was hypothesized that inclusive leadership will positively affect innovative work behavior, which will be mediated by work engagement and moderated by perceived job autonomy. A sample of workers is drawn from public educational institutions in Rawalpindi and Islamabad. A total of 300 samples participated in a questionnaire survey, the results of which were utilized to analyze the final data. Online surveys were used to get information from public sector workers. In this research, a non-probability sampling method is used. The imbalance between productivity, learning rate, quality, and performance is Pakistan's biggest problem. Our education system should support inclusive leadership. Because of authoritarian leadership, employees face numerous challenges and problems, and their creativity is harmed in this way, so in the context of Pakistan, this study has a significant impact. So, in employees' creativity, leadership plays a vital role, specifically inclusive leadership, and this research helps to understand this relationship. The idea of this research is unique: to understand the relationship between inclusive leadership and creativity so that organizations would be able to survive in a more complex environment. This research has a few limitations as well. The first limitation is that not all of them should have been included in this research. Small sample size is the second limitation, as data is collected only from one source. Cross-sectional data was the third limitation. The fourth limitation is that not all aspects of perceived job autonomy were used. Strategies that not only promote and elevate employee engagement but also make it a regular part of work should be put into place by organizations. Executives ought to recognize each worker's capacity for creativity.

A qualitative study of kindergarten teachers’ views on superintendents’ authority and power

PurposeThe study aimed to explore the authority and power of kindergarten superintendents in public education to elucidate their leadership dynamics.Design/methodology/approachSemi-structured interviews were conducted with 24 Israeli kindergarten teachers about the authority and power of their superintendents. Thematic analysis was used to construct a description of two overarching authority categories: formal and informal.FindingsWithin the realm of formal authority, two prevalent leadership types were discerned: bureaucratic management and management by exception. Each type incorporated distinct official strategies for influencing kindergarten teachers. Three predominant informal leadership types emerged – authoritarian, empowering and pedagogical – reflecting different unofficial approaches to influencing kindergarten teachers. The study elucidates the power base that underpins each leadership type, describing the resources superintendents use for influence and leverage.Originality/valueThe importance of the study lies in providing valuable insights into the authority and power of kindergarten superintendent leadership in a centralized public early childhood system.

The Effect of Upward Communication in Conflict Resolution: A Case Study of Employers and Employees in an Organization

This study investigates the role of upward communication and information sharing between staff members and management in workplace dispute resolution. The study emphasizes how psychological safety—a place where workers may voice concerns without fear of reprisal—fosters empowerment and accountability by looking at open and transparent communication. It also looks into how leadership styles affect how well people communicate, pointing out that although authoritarian leaders may stifle openness, personable leaders may foster it. Even with drawbacks like unclear channels and fear of reprisals, upward communication can promote trust, lessen frustration, and identify issues early on. Regular feedback sessions, conflict resolution training, and anonymous reporting systems are some methods for improvement. Statistical analyses using STATA software corroborate these results, highlighting the importance of efficient communication channels in fostering a supportive, cooperative, and productive work environment.

Discourse analysis of Joko Widodo's last state of the nation address 2024

In a dynamic political context, presidential speeches are crucial in shaping public perception and guiding policy. President Joko Widodo's latest speech on August 16, 2024 that was uploaded through the Presidential Secretariat's YouTube channel, has come under scrutiny for containing important elements relating to communication strategies and leadership legitimacy. This study aims to analyse the speech by exploring how Jokowi's distinctive rhetoric reflects his role in the political agenda. Using a qualitative approach and Van Dijk's critical discourse analysis technique, this study employs a socio-cognitive framework to guide the analysis. Lingual data was collected through free listening techniques, including transcription, observation, and research subject determination. Meanwhile, non-lingual data was obtained from credible news documents and analysed using hermeneutics and phenomenology methods. The results showed that Jokowi built his image as a responsive and effective leader through language that highlighted the successes and challenges of his leadership and built leadership authority by presenting himself as a skilful, strategic, and reality-based leader. This research contributes to understanding rhetorical strategies in political communication and leadership authority studies, with far-reaching implications for public perception and political dynamics.

Authoritarian leadership in projects: An integrated model to understand the team members’ task and innovative performance

Although authoritarian leadership (AL) behaviour is critical to organisational performance, its impact in different cultural contexts has received scant academic attention especially for managing bespoke projects which require temporary organisations to be formed. Drawing from self-determination and expectancy theories, this present research develops an integrated model to interpret the underlying impacts that the two dichotomous groups of ALs (i.e. discipline- and dominance-focused) have on project team members' task and innovative performance in China. The model developed was tested using the data collected from 316 Chinese project team members. Empirical evidence indicates that psychological empowerment acts as a ‘mediator’ via which the discipline- and dominance-focused ALs can positively and negatively affect the team members' task and innovative performance respectively. Additionally, the aforementioned indirect relationships are moderated by outcome expectancy, implying a positive interdependency between them. This research enriches an understanding of ALs and project team in terms of task completion and innovation and is useful for developing interventions to improve project team performance.

Twenty‐First Century Autocrats and Their Followers: A Comparative Inquiry

<p>Leadership and followership have long been considered to be defining features of democratic politics. However, more recently, both conceptual redefinitions and real-world developments have put issues of leadership and followership in regimes from beyond the family of established liberal democracies center-stage. This article looks into the nature of authoritarian leadership and followership from a comparative perspective and in light of theories of democratic political leadership. As the inquiry suggests, the rise and nature of leadership activities in contemporary authoritarian regimes reflects both the turn towards more competitive types of autocracy and the aspiration of many authoritarian powerholders to be seen as democratic. At the same time, some of the most spectacular manifestations of autocratic leadership relate to democratic rather than established authoritarian regimes. While followers of autocratic leaders can control their leaders only to the extent that a regime provides mechanisms of vertical accountability, authoritarian followers, even in established autocracies, are not in all regards less important or powerful than their democratic counterparts. Many authoritarian followers do not just support autocrats, but actively attack and chase non-followers or followers of other leaders, and thus play an independent role in the legitimation or de-legitimation of leaders and regimes.</p>

Chasing the authoritarian spectre: Detecting authoritarian discourse with large language models

AbstractThe paper introduces a deep‐learning model fine‐tuned for detecting authoritarian discourse in political speeches. Set up as a regression problem with weak supervision logic, the model is trained for the task of classification of segments of text for being/not being associated with authoritarian discourse. Rather than trying to define what an authoritarian discourse is, the model builds on the assumption that authoritarian leaders inherently define it. In other words, authoritarian leaders talk like authoritarians. When combined with the discourse defined by democratic leaders, the model learns the instances that are more often associated with authoritarians on the one hand and democrats on the other. The paper discusses several evaluation tests using the model and advocates for its usefulness in a broad range of research problems. It presents a new methodology for studying latent political concepts and positions as an alternative to more traditional research strategies.

Pengaruh Gaya Kepemimpinan Otoriter dan Kompensasi Financial terhadap Kinerja Karyawan dengan Disiplin Kerja sebagai Variabel Intervening pada PT. Gudang Garam Tbk.

This research is based on a phenomenon about the leadership style of PT. Gudang Garam Tbk which is authoritarian. In addition, there is also the problem of compensation in the form of overtime wages which are unevenly distributed by PT Gudang Garam Tbk. In this case, if allowed to drag on, it can affect the level of discipline owned by each personnel. This study uses a quantitative research method. The sample used in this study was 80 respondents using the random sampling/probability sampling method with the ara sampling technique. The data analysis techniques are in the form of technical data analysis, descriptive statistics, validity tests, reliability tests, classical assumption tests, multiple linear regression analysis, partial tests of the coefficient of determination (R Square) as well as path analysis and sobel tests through the SPSS program 25.0 for windows. The results of this study: (1) The Authoritarian Leadership Style Variable (X1) partially affects but is not significant on Work Discipline (Z) with a statistical value of sig. t 0.179 > 0.05. (2) The Variable of Financial Compensation (X2) partially has a significant effect on Work Discipline (Z) with a statistical value of sig. t 0.037 < 0.05. (3) The Authoritarian Leadership Style variable (X3) partially did not have a significant effect on Employee Performance (Y) with a statistical value of sig. t 0.381 > 0.05. (4) The Financial Compensation Variable (X4) partially affects but is not significant on Employee Performance (Y) with a statistical value of sig. t 0.096 > 0.05. (5) The Work Discipline variable (X5) partially has a significant effect on Employee Performance (Y) with a statistical value of sig. t 0.000 < 0.05. (6) There is an influence but not significant Authoritarian Leadership Style (X6) on Employee Performance (Y) through Work Discipline (Z) with an r value of 0.076 and the calculation value of 1.292 < ttable 1.991. (7) There is an influence but not significant Financial Compensation (X7) on Employee Performance (Y) through Work Discipline (Z) with an r value of 0.118 and a calculation value of 1,963 < a table of 1,991.

Pengaruh Kepemimpinan Otoriter, Motivasi dan Lingkungan Kerja Fisik terhadap Kinerja Karyawan Rumah Makan Apung Buana Badas

This research aims to determine the influence of the variables authoritarian leadership (X1), motivation (X2) and physical work environment (X3) on employee performance (Y) at the Buana Badas Floating Restaurant. This type of research is quantitative research. The data collection techniques used are primary data and secondary data. The sample selection used the saturated sampling method, the number of samples in the study was 39 respondents at the Buana Badas Floating Restaurant. This research data was obtained through questionnaires, interviews and literature studies. The analysis techniques used are Validity Test, Reliability Test, Classical Assumption Test, Multiple Linear Regression Analysis, T Test, F Test and Coefficient of Determination Test. The results of the research obtained the multiple linear regression equation Y= 10.762 + 0.0.277X1 + 0.392X2 + 0.652X3 and the t test results of the authoritarian leadership variable had a partially significant effect on employee performance with a sig result of 0.015 < 0.05. Motivation has a partially significant effect on employee performance with a sig result of 0.012 <0.05. The physical work environment has a partially significant effect on employee performance with a sig result of 0.000 < 0.05. The F test results obtained Fcount results with a significance value of 0.000 < 0.05. From the results of the analysis it can be concluded that authoritarian leadership, motivation and the physical work environment simultaneously and significantly influence the performance of Buana Badas Floating Restaurant employees.

Harnessing Leadership Styles to Enhance the Effectiveness of Secondary School Dynamics in the Vhembe District

The study aimed to explore the relationship between leadership styles and their effectiveness in enhancing the culture of secondary schools in the Vhembe District, South Africa. The study aimed to identify how different leadership approaches impact educator performance, learner achievement, and overall school dynamics. It also sought to provide recommendations for fostering leadership practices that positively influence these domains. A qualitative research approach was used, using purposive sampling to select 20 participants with substantial experience and knowledge of leadership dynamics within secondary schools in the Vhembe East District. The study collected in-depth insights into the various leadership styles practised and their effects on the school environment through interviews and observations. Key findings revealed a variety of leadership styles, from democratic to authoritarian, and their differing impacts on educators and learners. While collaborative and culturally responsive leadership practices enhanced school culture and performance, inconsistent or overly authoritative leadership led to challenges such as low educator morale and poor learner outcomes. The power and influence theory and Leadership trait theory provided a framework for understanding the dynamics of power and the traits that contribute to effective leadership. The study indicated that enhancing collaborative leadership, promoting culturally responsive practices, and maintaining consistency in leadership approaches are crucial to improving leadership quality in secondary schools. These findings contribute to the scholarship by offering practical insights that can guide the development of leadership training programs and inform policy-making in educational leadership, ultimately aiming to cultivate positive and supportive school dynamics. Keywords: Leadership, Leadership Style, School Ecosystem, Leadership Effectiveness, Leadership Trait.

Teachers’ authoritarian leadership and students’ well-being: the role of emotional exhaustion and narcissism

BackgroundTeachers’ leadership styles have a significant impact on students’ academic performance, physical health and mental health. Authoritarian leadership, as a typical leadership style, is prevalent in the teacher community. The purpose of this study was to examine the mechanisms by which authoritarian leadership impacts students’ well-being. We also examined the mediating role of emotional exhaustion and the moderating role of narcissism.MethodsThis study is based on conservation of resources theory. We selected a sample of 369 students from a university in Sichuan province, collected data through two time points, and tested the data using SPSS 24.0 and AMOS 22.0.ResultsIt was found that teachers’ authoritarian leadership negatively impacted students’ well-being and that emotional exhaustion mediated the relationship between authoritarian leadership and well-being. Narcissism not only moderated the effect of authoritarian leadership on emotional exhaustion, but also moderated the mediation role of emotional exhaustion.ConclusionsOur findings enriched the research on authoritarian leadership and narcissism, and also had important practical implications for future teacher teaching in higher education.

Leader controlling behaviors and proactive behavior among police officers: perceived powerlessness mechanism

PurposeThis study explores how controlling leadership behaviors, such as authoritarian leadership and abusive supervision, affect police officers’ proactive behavior. Specifically, it examines how perceived powerlessness mediates the relationship between these leadership styles and officers’ proactive behavior.Design/methodology/approachWe employed structural equation modeling with partial least squares analysis to test our hypotheses, utilizing a sample of police officers employed within a regional police institution in Indonesia.FindingsThe findings of this study indicate that both authoritarian leadership and abusive supervision have the potential to diminish or impede the proactive behavior of police officers by shaping their perception of powerlessness.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the broader understanding of how leader-controlling behaviors, such as authoritarian leadership and abusive supervision, impact the proactive behavior of police officers within the specific context of Indonesia.

Representation of Wangari Maathai’s Unbowed as a Metaphor for Defiance

Contemporary writers are using literary platforms to voice socio-political concerns. Women writers are fast emerging as the strongest section of civil society. Women writers, just like their male counterparts, question institutional abuse of political latitude by persons in positions of authority. At the same time, these women writers create feedback loops that have the potential to redirect and reshape strategies of governance and administration. These women writers develop women characters that exhibit a peculiarly courageous or risky act of resistance. They defy authoritarian political leadership and stand for what they believe in, yet their works remain largely unexplored. It is in this context that this study examines the depiction of Wangari Maathai's Unbowed as a metaphor for defiance against oppressive socio-political systems. The analysis of this autobiographical text is anchored on Marxist and post-colonial literary theories, as advanced by Tyson (2002) and Spivak (2010), respectively. By unearthing defiant modes of protest, the heterogeneity of resistance is affirmed, and a new domain where art encounters the political is revealed. Maathai’s Unbowed defies conventional literary traditions, steps over the boundary into the domain of socio-political activism and uses her life stories to demonstrate that the subaltern – women’s voices that erstwhile muffled – can now speak and meaningfully contribute to clamour for social justice. The outcomes of this study serve as a key reference point for literary scholarship on social equality, governance and political dissidence.