What affects peer interaction in universities? Examining the effects of paternalistic leadership and peer leadership on peer interaction of teachers.

BACKGROUND

Paternalistic leadership is usually adopted by the presidents of universities. Presidents are responsible for the success or failure of the university operations. In addition, they are responsible for policy promotion as well. This thinking model significantly differs from the western democratic view and it is worth discussing. The purpose of this study is to understand how paternalistic leadership (PL) affects peer leadership (PLD) and interactions among faculty members in universities.

METHODS

The current study was conducted with the participation of faculty members working in universities in Beijing. In this respect, a total of 320 copies of questionnaire were distributed. After removing the invalid and incomplete ones, 283 copies were found as valid. In the end, 88% of the questionnaires were considered valid. Factor analysis and reliability analysis were performed to test the reliability and validity of the questionnaire. In addition, a structural equation modeling was implemented to test the hypotheses.

FINDINGS

The research results showed that a university leader with balanced benevolence, authoritarianism, and moral leadership can empower a peer leader teacher to exhibit goal oriented behaviors. These behaviors also help the promotion of team harmony. Secondly, a university leader with a paternalistic leadership style can improve PI among professional teachers. Additionally, the leader can make the peer leader establish positive interaction.

CONCLUSION

The results of the study revealed that a leader in the teacher team with higher PLD characteristics can result in better peer interaction (PI) among teachers. Specific recommendations are provided to address the potential challenges university faculty may face in PIs, particularly in areas they perceive as having a poorer experience. It should be kept in mind that the power formed by university teams cannot be ignored to accomplish important tasks at the university and this power promotes the effectiveness of the university.