The Influence of Leader-member Exchange on Employee Task Performance in Coal Enterprises: A Study from the Perspective of Conservation of Resources Theory

Abstract

Purpose: Ensuring high levels of employee performance is critical in the coal industry, in light of disruptions caused by clean energy industries and consequent increased competitiveness in the energy market. Therefore, this study investigated the relationship between leader-member exchange (LMX), job embeddedness, and task performance in the context of the Chinese coal industry. Methodology: Employees of a coal enterprise in China, selected via random cluster samplings, completed a survey on site. Based on the data of 202 employees, we used correlation analysis to explore relationships between variables. We used a regression analysis to study the influence of LMX relationships and job embeddedness on task performance and a structural equation model to analyze the mediating role of job embeddedness. Findings: Based on the Conservation of Resources Theory, among the three factors of the LMX relationship, task performance, and job embeddedness in coal enterprises, any two of them correlated positively and significantly with each other; The LMX relationship here had a significant and positive prediction effect on the task performance of employees in coal enterprises. Job embeddedness also significantly and positively predicted task performance and played a significant mediating role between LMX relationships and task performance. Our findings can inform management decisions in the coal industry, help enterprises determine their position in the market, and enhance the performance level of employees. Originality: Few studies address the relationship between LMX, job embeddedness, and task performance in Chinese coal enterprises.