Effects of paternalistic leadership behavior on team cohesiveness: The mediating role of conflict resolution approaches

This study examines the relations between paternalistic leadership and team cohesiveness. We expect direct effects of paternalistic leadership on team cohesiveness, as well as a mediating effect of conflict resolution approaches on the relationship between paternalistic leadership and cohesiveness. Data were collected from 96 presidents and 454 corresponding team members in a state-owned commercial bank in Jiangsu Province. Multilevel analysis was used to test the hypotheses, relating competitive, cooperative and avoiding approaches to resolve conflict, with paternalistic leadership, and with team cohesiveness. Research results show paternalistic authoritarianism and moral behaviors have direct and remarkable impacts on team cohesiveness, while direct effects of benevolent behavior on team cohesiveness have got few data to support; meanwhile, team conflict resolution approaches are partially mediating factors between the relationship of team cohesiveness and paternalistic leadership.