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In light of an increasingly integrated society, in-depth research is needed to explore how particular perceived values may guide leadership behaviour by measuring the everyday actions of employees. As Asian individual values become collective, there is an increased likelihood that they will be perceived as cultural values that translate into expectations of leadership roles. This article considers the impact of changes in leadership roles from a role theory perspective, based on Asian values leading to changes in leadership styles. The sample is taken from an organised industrial zone which consists of a high immigrant workforce that continues to grow. The research was conducted in western Turkey but has appeared in leading survey results on Asian cultural values. This study found significant symbolic interactionism between values and leadership roles. There were also correlations between roles and leadership styles, since leaders also influence the interpersonal roles of their employees. Among managers involved in decision-making and information processing, an autocratic participative leadership style has emerged. Points for practitioners In every organisation, leaders should be aware of values in their organisations by measuring the everyday actions of employees. To become proficient leaders, they should learn to act in a manner suitable to the roles expected by their subordinates. Furthermore, to be efficient, leaders should adopt what is considered a ‘proper' style through comparison to the indicated roles. In a nutshell, leadership, values and leadership styles are interference acts that affect all processes, from recruitment to strategic management.

PurposeThis paper researches the effects of the cultural context from values' ground on leadership roles and the effects of roles on styles. The idea behind this study is to show that cultural communities have different cultural models regarding the kinds of roles leaders should or should not play.Design/methodology/approachThe sample was chosen from the part of the town where the immigrant workforce is growing, as well as it is the closest growing economic area to Europe in Turkey.FindingsThe analysis shows that cultural values significantly affect leadership roles. Additionally, there is a correlation between roles and paternalistic leadership style. Asian cultural values do affect leadership roles more than Western values. Additionally, each culture is diminishing the other. As leadership roles increase, they are acting as paternalistic leadership substitutes.Originality/valueInterestingly we have introduced paternalistic leadership substitutes to literature and showed that paternalistic leadership is not only culturally but also contextually bounded.