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<p>Paternalistic leadership (PL), widely practiced in Chinese schools, remains conceptually contested, and its effects on teacher engagement are still insufficiently examined. To address this gap, the study differentiates authoritarian leadership (AL) into discipline- and dominance-focused forms and tests a structural model linking four PL dimensions to teacher engagement, with teachers’ sense of belonging as a mediator. Survey data from 387 teachers in six Shanghai schools showed that moral leadership indirectly enhanced engagement through belonging, while discipline-focused AL had a direct positive effect. Latent profile analysis identified three PL profiles, with teachers perceiving high moral, benevolent, and discipline-focused leadership but low dominance reporting the strongest belonging and engagement. By unpacking the multidimensional nature of authoritarianism and adopting a person-centered approach, the study refines the understanding of PL and highlights belonging as a key relational mechanism linking leadership to teacher outcomes. The findings offer important implications for both theory and practice, while also providing directions for future research.</p>

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Differentiating Authoritarianism Within Paternalistic Leadership: Effects on Teacher Engagement and Sense of Belonging

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年5月7日

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  • Mengmeng Yan,
  • Weisheng Li

摘要

Paternalistic leadership (PL), widely practiced in Chinese schools, remains conceptually contested, and its effects on teacher engagement are still insufficiently examined. To address this gap, the study differentiates authoritarian leadership (AL) into discipline- and dominance-focused forms and tests a structural model linking four PL dimensions to teacher engagement, with teachers’ sense of belonging as a mediator. Survey data from 387 teachers in six Shanghai schools showed that moral leadership indirectly enhanced engagement through belonging, while discipline-focused AL had a direct positive effect. Latent profile analysis identified three PL profiles, with teachers perceiving high moral, benevolent, and discipline-focused leadership but low dominance reporting the strongest belonging and engagement. By unpacking the multidimensional nature of authoritarianism and adopting a person-centered approach, the study refines the understanding of PL and highlights belonging as a key relational mechanism linking leadership to teacher outcomes. The findings offer important implications for both theory and practice, while also providing directions for future research.