Leader–member exchange and guanxi are not the same: differential impact of dyadic relationships on fit perceptions, helping behavior, and turnover intention

Abstract

Extant literature on person–environment fit has underlined the positive impact of leader–member exchange (LMX) on person–supervisor (PS) fit. We challenge this assumption and propose that LMX, which captures the working relationship between employees and their managers, is more strongly associated with person–organization (PO) fit, not PS fit. We further propose that the personal aspect of the relationship between employees and their managers, namely supervisor–subordinate guanxi, is more strongly associated with PS fit than LMX. Finally, we theorize that LMX and supervisor–subordinate guanxi will be associated with turnover intention and helping behavior targeting the supervisor, respectively, through their differential impact on PO and PS fit. Data collected from 267 leader–member dyads in 17 companies in China using a two-wave procedure supported our hypotheses. These results have implications for theories on the multi-dimensional nature of the person–environment fit as well as research differentiating LMX and supervisor–subordinate guanxi.