Abstract Based on a survey of 263 participants from 28 R & D institutions with dramatic changes, the relationship between benevolent and change leadership and followers’ affective commitment to a particular change were explored. The analysis with Hierarchical linear model showed that benevolent and change leadership is positively related to follower’s affective commitment to change and contributes to 49.1% intergroup variance. Further, benevolent leadership was found to exert positive influence on the relationship between change leadership and affective commitment to change. The results indicated that the indigenized benevolent leadership with change management measures from the West could effectively obtain employee support for change. This result also revealed that caring staff in daily work and selecting humanistic leadership during changing period would facilitate the change success.
2017, Vol. 14 
