17 Advantages and Disadvantages of Paternalistic Leadership

In paternalistic leadership, people may feel like the situation that they are in is democratic as workers are encouraged to discuss and comment and their questions are answered. However, decisions will be up to the person at top. To know more about the advantages and disadvantages of paternalistic leadership, read on.

List of Advantages of Paternalistic Leadership

1. High employee loyalty due to employees feeling like they are being heard and their needs are met.
2. Good behavior is rewarded by the person at the top, often with goods and food.
3. Absenteeism rates and staff turnover will decrease as emphasis is placed on the employee’s needs.
4. Most decisions will be made with the employees’ best interests taken into consideration
5. Feedback is invited and encouraged, which improves morale and makes employees feel important.
6. There is an open line of communication between the managers and the employees which will keep employees feeling important and satisfied.
7. There is an understanding that the manager wants everyone to succeed, which can result in a lower amount of competition among employees.
8. The manager is given the power to rule from the idea that they are the most capable in making the best decisions for the team, which fosters trust and loyalty with employees.
9. Managers are very involved in the employee’s personal lives, which makes the employee feel more connected at work.

List of Disadvantages of Paternalistic Leadership

1. Just like a parent, managers will sometimes have to discipline the employee in non-traditional ways.
2. Bad decisions from above cause major employee dissatisfaction.
3. The employees will become more and more dependent on the employer, which can cause an increase in necessary supervision in order to get things done in a timely and appropriate manner.
4. If loyalty to the manager is not established quickly then there can be poor staff motivation.
5. Issues can be caused and exacerbated with employee legislation and rights.
6. Employees rely on the leader more than they would in a typical work setting. Because of this, the team can become highly competitive as they all vie for attention and affection.
7. Managers can become blind with their power and make decisions that only benefit themselves.
8. If roles are not well defined and employees do not know what is needed from them there can be power struggles and internal issues.