Influence of Leader-Member Exchange of Employees’ Affective Commitment in Saudi Arabia Universities

Abstract

The emotional attachment employees’ exhibit towards their workplaces, known as affective commitment, has a determining influence on the quality and sustainability of their performance. Employees with strong visceral attachment tend to record more successful careers. However, the quality of this emotional attachment is a function of the quality of interactions between the employees and their leaders. This study, therefore, examines the relationship between leader-member exchange (LMX) and affective commitment (AC) in a sample of 373 administrative employees drawn from Saudi Arabian higher educational institutions. The survey data were collected were analysed using a partial least squares approach to structural equation modelling. Outcomes of the analysis revealed that LMX positively and significantly affects AC. Also, the quality of the relationship between employees and their immediate managers is predicted by the level of employees’ affective commitment.