Exploring managerial leadership in Javanese (Indonesia) organisations: engaging Asta Brata, the eight principles of Javanese statesmanship

Abstract

This study investigates whether the eight ancient principles of Javanese statesmanship (Asta Brata), can be employed as the basis for analysing managerial leadership excellence in Javanese organizations. Factor analysis, regression modelling and structural modelling are used to explain what constitutes leadership excellence in Javanese organizations. These findings based on the perceptions of 312 Javanese managers suggest they favour a paternalistic leadership style that is nurturing but not authoritative. This study highlights the importance of understanding Indonesia’s bapak-ism, or reverence for the leader as a father figure, and its familial orientation of interdependency between management and employees.

Keywords:

• Cultural modelling
• Indonesia
• Java
• leadership excellence
• managerial behaviours
• paternalism

Acknowledgements

We wish to thank the participating universities in Indonesia and the officials who offered assistance in the distribution and data collection. We would also like to thank the five APBR reviewers and two editors who provided detailed feedback, which assisted in developing a quality manuscript fit for publication. Ethics approval for this research was granted by Universitas Pembangunan Nasional ‘Veteran’ Yogyakarta, Lementrian Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan Indonesia.

Notes

1. MBA and Master’s business program students also employed in organizations have often been used as proxy for managers in research, including Heuer, Cummings, and Hutabarat (1999) in their study of managers in Indonesia.