https://dinastires.org/JLPH

Vol. 4, No. 1, November 2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.38035/jlph.v4i1
Received: 15 November 2023, Revised: 1 December 2023, Publish: 31 December 2023
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Paternalistic Leadership in Law Firm: Indicators of Success and
Implementation
1

Primadi Candra Susanto, Institut Transportasi dan Logistik Trisakti, Jakarta, Indonesia,
primstrisakti@gmail.com
2
Naik Henokh Parmenas, Institut Teknologi dan Bisnis Kalbis, Jakarta, Indonesia,
parmenas@kalbis.ac.id
3
Wenny Desty Febrian, Universitas Dian Nusantara, Jakarta, Indonesia,
wenny.desty.febrian@undira.ac.id
4
Indra Sani, ITB Asia, Malang, Indonesia, indrasani77@edu.com
5
Hendy Tannady, Universitas Multimedia Nusantara, Tangerang, Indonesia,
hendy.tannady@umn.ac.id
6
Ryan Firdiansyah Suryawan, Sekolah Tinggi Penerbangan Aviasi, Jakarta, Indonesia,
ryan.firdiansyah.1979@gmail.com
Corresponding Author: parmenas@kalbis.ac.id2

Abstract: The research objectives on paternalistic leadership can vary from understanding the
concept to practical application in qualitatively different organizational contexts. This study
used a qualitative research approach by researchers. Qualitative methods are basically
exploratory research techniques used to investigate causes, viewpoints, and opinions to answer
research questions. The choice of this qualitative research approach is appropriate. Data
collection for this study will be carried out from primary and secondary data sources.
Researchers collect primary data to answer research questions through reviews of scientific
papers, journals, books, websites, and blogs used in the study. Paternalistic leadership in law
offices is that this method has the possibility to improve employee well-being and overall
organizational performance. By paying attention to the balance between authority and concern
for employees, paternalistic leadership creates a supportive and motivating work environment.
Assessment of success such as employee satisfaction, retention, and productivity becomes
important in assessing the positive impact of paternalistic leadership. Overall, the study
confirms that paternalistic leadership has a significant positive impact in the law office context,
and by implementing appropriate strategies, organizations can optimize the benefits of this
approach to achieve their goals and improve employee well-being.
Keyword: Paternalistic Leadership, Success Indicators, Implementation

INTRODUCTION
Paternalistic leadership in law offices has emerged as a significant phenomenon,
characterized by a leadership style that combines authoritative decision-making with a sense

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Vol. 4, No. 1, November 2023

of caring and paternal guidance toward employees. This leadership approach is especially often
encountered in professional services industries such as law, where hierarchical structures and
traditional norms have historically prevailed (Phillips et al., 2020). Understanding the
indicators of success and implementation of paternalistic leadership in law offices is important
for organizational effectiveness and employee well-being (Wunderlich & Wunderlich, 2017).
One of the main indicators of success in paternalistic leadership in law offices is
employee satisfaction (Qian et al., 2019). This leadership style helps build a sense of belonging
and support among employees, leading to higher levels of satisfaction and morale (Deng,
2016). Law firms that exercise paternalistic leadership often experience higher retention rates
(Wouters, 2015). Employees are more likely to stay in the office when they feel valued,
supported, and cared for by their leaders. Paternalistic leadership contributes to the
development of a positive organizational culture characterized by open communication, trust,
and cooperation (Wouters, 2015). This culture encourages innovation, creativity, and a sense
of shared purpose among employees. Paternalistic leadership can be a powerful force for
success in law offices when implemented effectively (Duangekanong et al., 2017). With a focus
on indicators such as employee satisfaction, retention rate, client trust, productivity, and
organizational culture, Leaders can create supportive and empowering work environments that
foster the growth of both individuals and organizations (Wenny Desty Febrian.S.E.M.M| Rini
Ardista et al., 2022).
Paternalistic leadership in law offices combines authority with concern for employees.
Success indicators include employee satisfaction, quality of legal services, work-life balance,
professional development, and organizational culture (Rudyk et al., 2023). Its implementation
strategy includes fostering strong relationships, developing leadership skills, building a
positive organizational culture, flexibility, adaptability, and effective communication (Yao &
Hao, 2023). With this in mind, paternalistic leadership can be an effective model in achieving
organizational goals and employee well-being (Lee et al., 2023). Indicators of success and
implementation in law offices are two important aspects that are interrelated in managing and
developing a law firm (del Rocío Campoverde Palma, 2023). Law firms are unique business
entities with particular dynamics and challenges, so understanding success indicators and the
right implementation strategy is crucial (Wunderlich & Wunderlich, 2017), (Saputra, 2023).
In short, while paternalistic leadership offers many benefits, its implementation requires
careful consideration of potential challenges and a commitment to fostering a supportive and
empowering work environment (Jing & Zhihua, 2020). By addressing these challenges and
focusing on success indicators, organizations can effectively leverage paternalistic leadership
to drive positive outcomes and achieve long-term success. The research objectives on
paternalistic leadership can vary from understanding the concept to its practical application in
qualitatively different organizational contexts.
METHOD
This study used a qualitative research approach by researchers. Qualitative methods are
basically exploratory research techniques used to investigate causes, viewpoints, and opinions
to answer research questions. The choice of this qualitative research approach is appropriate.
Data collection for this study will be carried out from primary and secondary data sources.
Researchers collect primary data to answer research questions through reviews of scientific
papers, journals, books, websites, and blogs used in the study.
Qualitative research methods involving literature review involve analyzing multiple
text sources to understand and integrate the knowledge gained about the research issue. This
approach allows researchers to identify trends, debates, hypotheses, findings, and knowledge
gaps related to research topics of interest that already exist in the literature. Here is a table of
articles related to the topics in this article which will be selected and described:
Table. 1 Related Articles

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No

Author, Year, Title

1.

(Arbaiza &
Guillén, 2016)

2.

3.

Subordinate
Responses to
Leadership:
Evidence from an
Emerging Market
Firm
(Deng, 2016)
Comparative
Study of Servant
Leadership and
Paternalistic
Leadership on
Employee’s
Performance
(Moturi et al.,
2019)

Vol. 4, No. 1, November 2023
Method
Quantitative

5.

6.

(Maqsoom et al.,
2022)
Nexus between
Leader–Member
Exchange,
Paternalistic
Leadership, and
Creative
Behavior in the
Construction
Industry
(Gunasekara et
al., 2022)
Paternalistic
leadership as a
double-edged
sword: Analysis
of the Sri Lankan
President's
response to the
COVID-19 crisis
(Sugeng et al.,
2022)

Result
Paternalistic leadership has a
positive influence on obedience
and gratitude, while
transformational leadership has a
positive influence on gratitude.

Quantitative

Servant
Leadership,
Paternalistic
Leadership,
Employee’s
Performance

Quantitative

Principals,
Leadership
Styles,
Implementation
of Strategic
Plans

Quantitative

Nexus between
Leader–Member
Exchange,
Paternalistic
Leadership, and
Creative
Behavior in

Qualitative

Paternalistic
leadership

We show how power exercised
through authoritarian behavior, as
opposed to authoritative behavior,
along with professed morality and
kindness, appears to be effective
in the short term in dealing with
the pandemic.

Quantitative

Paternalistic
Leadership
Style

Paternalistic leadership has
similarities to the role of a leader
such as a father. In this case, a
leader is like a father to his

Influence of
Principals,
Leadership Styles
on
Implementation
of Strategic Plans
in Public
Secondary
Schools in Trans
Nzoia West Sub
County
4.

Relevant
Topic
Partnership
Leadership

Shows that servant leadership
appears to be more effective than
paternalistic leadership for
improving employee job
satisfaction and organizational
citizenship (OCB) behavior, as
well as reducing workplace
inappropriate behavior within
companies in Mainland China
Types of leadership styles the type
of leadership in an organization
determines the level of
performance. Leaders have great
influence in running the
operations of the organization.
They set goals, objectives, and
strategies. They are those who
participate in decision-making
such as recruitment and selection,
setting targets among other critical
issues. Bad leadership, therefore,
reflects poor performance while
good leadership reflects
organizational success.
authoritarian, benevolent and
moral leadership with employee
creativity. In addition, a good
leadership exchange is
significantly mediates the
relationship between the two
dimensions of paternalistic
leadership (benevolent and moral
leadership) and creativity, except
for authoritarian leadership.

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The Analysis of
Paternalistic
Leadership Style
of The Head Of
The Karangrejo
Water Resources
Service Technical
Implementation
Unit
Tulungagung
REGENCY
7.
(del Rocío
Campoverde
Palma, 2023)

Quantitative

Leadership,
ethics,
organizational
management

Quantitative

Paternalistic
leadership,
Innovation

Leadership and
ethics in the
organizational
management of
law firms
8.

(Hou et al., 2019)
Paternalistic
leadership and
innovation: the
moderating effect
of environmental
dynamism

9.

(Tu et al., 2023)

Quantitative

10.

Authoritarian,
Benevolent, and
Moral
Components of
Paternalistic
Leadership and
Employee
Performance:
Psychological
Safety as A
Mediator
(Lee et al., 2023)

Paternalistic
Leadership,
Employee
Performance,
Psychological
Safety

Quantitative

paternalistic
leadership

Investigating
aspects of
paternalistic
leadership within
the job demands
resources model

Vol. 4, No. 1, November 2023
children, that is, by the nature of
protecting and guiding his
subordinates. In decision making,
a leader must seek advice from his
employees or subordinates.
Leaders who are always right can
cause authoritarian attitudes even
though sometimes the head of
UPTD SDA Karang rejo wants to
listen/receive advice from his
employees.
It is necessary to explore to
imagine a new organizational
management model. Therefore,
leadership and ethics present
different alternatives, focused on
participation and cooperation, in
building of institutional social
relevance.

All three elements of paternalistic
leadership are generally positively
correlated with exploitative
innovation. In addition,
environmental dynamics moderate
the relationship between
paternalistic leadership and
innovation. In a dynamic
environment, moral leadership has
a stronger positive effect on
innovation, but only on
exploratory innovation; While
authoritarian leadership has a
more detrimental effect on both
types of innovation, both
exploratory and exploitative
Paternalistic leadership mediates
the negative relationship between
the components of authoritarian
leadership and employee task
performance, organizational
citizenship behavior toward
individuals, and organizational
citizenship behavior toward
organizations.

The study reveals three different
mechanisms for each aspect of
paternalistic leadership and
suggests how paternalistic
leadership can be practiced in
Asian countries.

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11.
(Yao & Hao,
2023)

Quantitative

Paternalistic
Leadership,
Employee
Innovation
Behavior

Quantitative

Paternalistic
Leadership
Enhance Civil
Servants’ Public
Service
Motivation,
Trust

Influence of
Paternalistic
Leadership on
Employee
Innovation
Behavior and
New Venture
Performance: The
Moderating Role
of Leader
Humility
12.

(Huang & Liu,
2023)
How Does
Paternalistic
Leadership
Enhance Civil
Servants’ Public
Service
Motivation? The
Mediating
Mechanism of
Trust in Leader

Vol. 4, No. 1, November 2023
The study reveals three different
mechanisms for each aspect of
paternalistic leadership and
suggests how paternalistic
leadership can be practiced in
Asian countries.

Although in a society that tends to
be authoritarian like China,
authoritarian variants of
paternalistic leadership are
increasingly losing influence, and
moral and benevolent leadership
has become more important in
modern organizations, and should
be the main leadership strategy
used by government leaders.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
After being described in the literature table from various journals above related to the
topics in this scientific article, the findings that can later support the results of this scientific
article in perspective will be given by researchers. It can be seen that the results of research
found in a period of time can still be used as a reference where it will be narratively and added
to the perspective of the researcher.
Implementation of Patentarlistic Leadership
Where based on the results of the study (Arbaiza &; Guillén, 2016) paternalistic
leadership has a positive influence on obedience and gratitude, while transformational
leadership has a positive influence on gratitude. Followed by research results from (Deng,
2016) stated that servant leadership seems to be more effective than paternalistic leadership to
increase job satisfaction and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) of employees, as well
as reduce inappropriate behavior in the workplace within companies in Mainland China. Types
of leadership styles The type of leadership in an organization determines the level of
performance. Leaders have great influence in running the operations of the organization. They
set goals, objectives, and strategies. They are those who participate in decision-making such as
recruitment and selection, setting targets among other critical issues (Moturi et al., 2019).
Authoritarian, benevolent and moral leadership with employee creativity. In addition,
good leadership exchanges significantly mediate the relationship between the two dimensions
of paternalistic leadership (benevolent and moral leadership) and creativity, except for
authoritarian leadership (Maqsoom et al., 2022).
Power exercised through authoritarian
behavior, in contrast to authoritative behavior, together with promoted morality and kindness,
seems to be effective in the short term in dealing with the pandemic (Gunasekara et al., 2022).
With the selection of several research results from various articles as representatives,
the perspective of researchers in this scientific article is not an opposing answer to the results

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of existing research, it's just adding and justifying the results of research from the selected
article literature as a form of contribution and briefly from the empirical side of the researcher.
Paternalistic leadership, with its focus on a combination of authority and concern for
employees, has significant implications in the context of law offices. To evaluate success and
implement effective strategies, several perspectives need to be considered. Successful
paternalistic leadership in a law office requires a balance between authority and concern for
employees. Success indicators should be reflective of this balance, including employee
satisfaction, quality of legal services, and productivity.
The implementation of paternalistic leadership requires fostering strong relationships
between leaders and employees. Active engagement, open communication, and the ongoing
exchange of ideas are key to building mutually beneficial relationships. And rarely used for
objects that are in the research topic in this article. Success indicators should include holistic
aspects of performance, such as client satisfaction, employee retention, operational efficiency,
and firm reputation. A holistic approach allows for a comprehensive evaluation of the impact
of paternalistic leadership. Every law office has unique dynamics and needs. Therefore, the
implementation strategy of paternalistic leadership must be flexible and adaptable to the
specific context of the law firm. In the midst of the high demands of the legal profession,
successful paternalistic leadership must be strengthened by ethical values and integrity. It is
important for leaders to be role models in upholding ethical and professional standards.
Paternalistic leadership in law offices can be applied more effectively, and its success
indicators can be better understood and assessed comprehensively.
After the results are presented with additional perspectives from researchers who are
personal views according to empirical personal vision, then the discussion added from the
above results then paternalistic leadership in law offices is a complex topic with significant
implications. In this context, it is important to consider success indicators and appropriate
implementation strategies. The lengthy discussion will involve an in-depth analysis of various
aspects of paternalistic leadership, including its impact on employees, quality of legal services,
and organizational culture. It will also involve discussing how factors such as ethics,
adaptability, and interpersonal relationships affect the success of paternalistic leadership in law
offices. A lengthy discussion will allow for a deeper understanding of the complexities and
challenges of applying paternalistic leadership in this particular context.
CONCLUSION
The conclusion of the study of paternalistic leadership in law offices is that this
method has the possibility to improve employee well-being and overall organizational
performance. By paying attention to the balance between authority and concern for employees,
paternalistic leadership creates a supportive and motivating work environment. Assessment of
success such as employee satisfaction, retention, and productivity becomes important in
assessing the positive impact of paternalistic leadership.
Nonetheless, the implementation of paternalistic leadership is also faced with a
number of challenges, including effective communication, the development of strong
relationships between leaders and employees, and awareness of ethical values and integrity.
Therefore, adaptation and flexibility are needed in implementing paternalistic leadership
strategies that fit the unique characteristics of each law office.
Overall, the study confirms that paternalistic leadership has a significant positive
impact in the law office context, and by implementing appropriate strategies, organizations can
optimize the benefits of this approach to achieve their goals and improve employee well-being.
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Vol. 4, No. 1, November 2023

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