Exploring the connection between authoritarian-benevolent leadership and craftsman spirit: the mediating role of loyalty

Guided by social exchange theory, this study examines how the dual leadership behavior of authoritarian-benevolent leadership in mentorship affects craftsman spirit within China’s manufacturing sector amidst its transformation and upgrading. A theoretical model positioning loyalty as a mediator was developed to elucidate how different configurations of benevolent and authoritarian leadership influence craftsman spirit through reciprocal social exchanges. Using polynomial regression and response surface analysis on survey data from 343 master-apprentice dyads, the findings indicate that: (1) when benevolence and authority are aligned, high levels of both yield no significant advantage over low levels of both in promoting craftsman spirit; (2) when benevolence and authority are misaligned, high benevolence coupled with low authority more effectively fosters craftsman spirit than the reverse; (3) loyalty mediates the relationship between high benevolence-low authority leadership and craftsman spirit. These results suggest that manufacturing firms should incorporate ambidextrous leadership into master selection and training, while establishing institutionalized master-apprentice pairing mechanisms and emotional bank account management to systematically cultivate craftsman spirit.