Paternalistic leadership style, employee voice and creativity among entrepreneurs : empirical evidence from SMEs of a developing country

Purpose: In today’s world, employee voice has become an important factor in resolving organizational issues and making innovativeness. Therefore, this study proposes to investigate the paternalistic leadership style, employee voice and creativity among entrepreneurs of Pakistan. Design/methodology/approach: This study employs a cross-sectional study design in which a survey questionnaire is employed to collect the data from the respondents. After data cleaning and screening, in total 416 suitable samples are proceeded for data analysis. Findings: SEM findings underlined as a positive and significant relationship of moral leadership with employee voice. Hence, this study found an insignificant relationship of authoritarian, benevolent leadership with employee voice. Further, the study also finds a positive and significant association between employee voice and creativity. Practical implications: This study may offer a thoughtful and systematic approach to employee voice and creativity for resolving organizational issues through recommendations/opinions of employees. This study may be helpful for addressing issues by bringing out creativity and innovation to achieve organizational goals and objectives. Originality/value: This study is the first to investigate the role of employees’ voice, entrepreneurs’ leadership style and creativity in manufacturing SMEs of Pakistan.