Abstract
In this correlational research study, the views of research assistants working in education faculties on paternalistic leadership and their perceptions of organizational policy were examined. The research population consists of research assistants working in the education faculties of state universities in Turkey. In the study, stratified sampling and random sampling methods were applied gradually. The researchers emailed scales of paternalistic leadership and perceptions of organizational policy to 459 research assistants and collected the data. Parametric statistics were used in the analysis of the data According to the research results, the helpfulness levels of the research assistants towards the faculty members they work with are medium, their morality levels are medium-high, and their authoritarianism levels are medium-low. While research assistants' perceptions of organizational policy are medium-high in the dimensions of doing what is necessary to raise honesty and work ethic, they are moderate in general political behavior. Negative correlations were observed between paternalistic leadership dimensions and perception of organizational policy dimensions. It was determined that paternalistic leadership is an essential predictor of the perception of organizational policy. Based on these results, it is suggested that faculty members should behave benevolently and morally rather than authoritarian to reduce research assistants' perceptions of organizational policy.