Leader-member Exchange Research Articles

Time after time: optimizing individuals’ experience of work through leaders’ facilitation of employee flow

ABSTRACT We examine the nexus of leadership and flow through the lens of two inherently positive psychological leadership approaches. In so doing, we examine how leaders can craft conditions to make work more conducive to followers’ flow, and the beneficial effects this has on well-being and performance. Data were collected from 40 employees who completed an initial survey and subsequent daily surveys over two weeks (273 data points). Results from hierarchical linear modeling (level-1 days; level-2 persons) suggest that transformational leaders and leader-member exchange (LMX) relationships impact employees’ work characteristics, subsequently impacting daily flow. In turn, followers’ daily flow predicted daily psychological well-being and performance on subsequent days, further evidencing the downstream importance of flow-facilitative leader behaviors. Both transformational leadership and LMX were also found to predict psychological well-being through leaders’ impact on flow preconditions and flow itself in a full multi-stage mediation model.

Time pressure, coping strategies and work engagement: moderation of inclusive-leadership

PurposeThis study aims to unravel the effects of time pressure on work engagement within Chinese organizational settings, considering the moderating effect of inclusive leadership and the mediating role of coping strategies. It seeks to apply and extend theories such as the job demands-resources (JD-R) model, Lazarus’s stress and coping (LSC) framework and leader–member exchange (LMX) theory on stress and coping to understand these dynamics comprehensively.Design/methodology/approachThe study collected responses from 211 Chinese professionals in the manufacturing sector through a structured questionnaire. Multiple regression analysis was used to test the hypotheses.FindingsResults reveal that problem-focused coping strategies positively correlate with work engagement, whereas emotion-focused coping strategies do not show a significant association. Both emotion-focused and problem-focused coping strategies mediate the relationship between time pressure and work engagement. Additionally, inclusive leadership positively moderates the relationship between time pressure and both problem-focused and emotion-focused coping strategies.Practical implicationsOrganizational leaders and HR practitioners of companies can devise interventions to enhance employee engagement by leveraging the findings of this study, which advances our understanding of the critical role of coping strategies and the influence of inclusive leadership, particularly under time pressure, which is prevalent in fast-paced work environments.Originality/valueThe research integrates the JD-R model, LMX theory and LSC framework to explore workplace dynamics in China, presenting new insights into coping mechanisms and leadership roles in high-pressure environments.

Employee engagement and retention in multicultural work groups: The interplay of employee and supervisory cultural intelligence

Given the rise in cultural diversity in workplaces due to increased globalization and hyperconnectivity, organizations worldwide are seeking effective ways to attract and retain multicultural talent. This research probes the interaction between an employee’s cultural intelligence (CQ) and a supervisor’s CQ, investigating how this interaction impacts work engagement and the intention to stay within multicultural work groups. Drawing on work engagement literature and leader-member exchange (LMX) theory, we conducted two empirical studies. Study 1 (170 matched data) reveals that employee’s CQ positively influences work engagement, with this relationship moderated by the supervisor’s CQ. Study 2 (161 matched data) validates these findings while also demonstrating how work engagement influences employee’s intention to stay. Taken collectively, our research advances theory and practice by elucidating the synergistic value of fostering both employees’ and supervisors’ CQ—i.e., the “double CQ”—for enhancing engagement and retention in multicultural work groups.

The mediating role of psychological capital in the relationship between LMX and cyberloafing

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the direct impact of leader-member exchange (LMX) quality on cyberloafing as well as its indirect impact through psychological capital.Design/methodology/approachUsing a two-wave time-lagged design, data were collected from 417 full-time employees of 15 information technology service organizations in the Mumbai metropolis area of India.FindingsResults indicate that LMX quality is negatively related to cyberloafing and psychological capital partially mediates this association. Even though data were collected at two points in time, the self-reported nature of the data is a limitation.Practical implicationsResults of the study have practical implications. Designing interventions to help managers enhance the quality of their relationship with their followers will directly and indirectly reduce cyberloafing by enhancing psychological capital.Originality/valueThis study is among the first to examine the impact of LMX quality on cyberloafing. In addition, the reliance on psychological capital theory to predict cyberloafing is a novel contribution. This study explores why and when LMX quality inhibits workplace cyberloafing.

The Impact of Host-Country Supervisor Participation in Cross-Cultural Training on Expatriate Subordinate Outcomes

Using signaling theory (Spence, 1973) and leader-member exchange (LMX) theory (Dansereau et al., 1975), this study examines the effects of the participation of both host-country supervisors and expatriate subordinates in the same cross-cultural training on expatriate subordinates’ outcomes abroad. We propose that host-country supervisor participation in training sends a favorable signal and improves the quality of the host-country supervisor–expatriate subordinate relationship and interactions, thereby leading to improved expatriate subordinate outcomes. Host-country supervisor and expatriate subordinate dyads from a variety of countries took part in a web-based cross-cultural training before or shortly after arriving in the United States. Results indicate that the participation of both host-country supervisors and expatriate subordinates in the same cross-cultural training significantly impacts expatriates’ cross-cultural adjustment and job performance and that these benefits are conferred through increased LMX quality. The recognition and implementation of cross-cultural training is critical for organizations to evolve, compete, and succeed in a global context. This study is one of the first to empirically examine the role that providing both host-country supervisors and expatriate subordinates the same cross-cultural training can have in improving expatriates’ work-related outcomes. It is also one of the first to examine the role of LMX theory in these outcomes.

For the sake of my job security: examining the effect of age-based stereotype threat on older workers’ knowledge hiding

Purpose Organizations can greatly benefit from the transfer of knowledge from older employees to younger generations. However, older workers often hesitate to share their expertise with their younger colleagues. Grounded in conservation of resources theory and the stereotype threat framework, this study aims at examining the negative impact of age-based stereotype threat on organizational knowledge management. Design/methodology/approach The authors developed a moderated mediation model and collected data from 219 older workers with a time-lagged design to explore the effect of age-based stereotype threat on older workers’ knowledge hiding. Findings The results showed that age-based stereotype threat could lead to knowledge hiding behaviors among older workers due to increased job insecurity, and leader-member exchange can potentially mitigate these effects. Originality/value The findings underscore the detrimental effect of age-based stereotype threat on organizational knowledge management and suggest that organizations should foster an age-inclusive environment to facilitate effective intergenerational knowledge transfer.

When work–life balance fails to boost organizational citizenship behaviors: the moderating role of leader–member exchange

PurposeSupporting employees’ work–life balance (WLB) has been a standard human resource management practice, thus the concern is now shifted toward its outcomes. The present study predicts that while WLB can boost organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs), this positive effect may depend on the quality of leader–member exchange (LMX) relationships. The study seeks evidence to clarify how the WLB–OCBs relationship can be moderated by the LMX quality.Design/methodology/approachA sample of 216 frontline employees in New Zealand was used to test two moderation models using SPSS, AMOS and PROCESS macro.FindingsWLB was found to have substantial effects on OCBs-individual (OCBs-I) and OCBs-organization (OCBs-O) if the quality of LMX was high. Under low LMX quality, however, WLB failed to boost OCBs-I and OCBs-O. Thus, the influence of WLB on OCBs seems to be conditional on the leader–subordinate relationship as a boundary factor.Practical implicationsSupporting low-LMX-quality employees to balance their work–life roles seems insufficient to push OCBs. Managers and organizations need to improve the quality of leader–subordinate relationships to unblock the desired effects of WLB toward OCBs, and, ultimately, organizational effectiveness and performance.Originality/valueThe findings extend the research stream around the boundary impact of LMX relationships on the employees’ WLB – OCBs link in which the OCBs construct was especially examined in terms of OCBs-I and OCBs-O.

Exploring the influence of spiritual leadership, leader - member exchange, and traditionality orientation on employee voice behavior.

This research builds on the idea that the exchange of resources between leaders and followers can influence the behavior of employees. Specifically, the study investigates how leaders can develop strong leader-member exchange (LMX) with their followers, and how this exchange can lead to increased employee voice behavior. The study analyzed data collected from 365 individual employees working in Chinese organization. The findings indicate that LMX acts as a mediator between spiritual leadership and employee voice behavior. The strength of this mediation, however, depends on the followers' level of traditionality orientation. Notably, the findings indicate that the effect is significant only among individuals who exhibit low traditionality. Theoretical contributions and implications for practice are discussed in later sections.

Spoiled Rotten? LMXSC Motivates Greater Supervisor-Directed Deviance in Individuals Who Were Overindulged as Children

AbstractRecent work has demonstrated that perceiving oneself as being treated better by one’s leader compared to one’s coworkers’ treatment by the same leader (i.e., leader-member exchange social comparison; LMXSC) can motivate aggressive behavior towards one’s colleagues. Extending these findings, the current paper argues that high LMXSC employees can also be motivated to show aggressive behavior towards their leader, depending on their early experiences with authority figures (i.e., parents/guardians). Using both experimental and time-lagged field study designs, this study demonstrates that LMXSC elicits hubristic pride which, in turn, motivates supervisor-directed deviance in subordinates who were overindulged by their parents/guardians as children. These findings challenge the assumption that high LMXSC employees reciprocate their leaders’ positive treatment by revealing when and why they can be motivated to demonstrate aggressive and deviant leader-directed behavior.

Follower persuade Leader Green Commitment: Exploring Sustainability in Pharma Companies

This study investigates the impact of follower green knowledge (FGK) on leader green commitment through moderation (follower perceived organizational support) and mediation (leader motivation toward sustainable development goals). A total of 429 respondents from large pharmaceutical companies operating in different regions of Pakistan were selected. PLS-SEM and Johnson–Neyman plots were used for the conditional moderation mediation model. The results of the hypotheses including the conditional moderation mediation model were significant. Moreover, follower knowledge is a vital asset for persuading leader commitment when followers receive organizational support and leaders are motivated to adopt sustainable development goals. This study opens new avenues for leadership development programs. Moreover, enhancing green awareness and knowledge through training stimulates innovation and promotes experimentation with new environmentally friendly practices within the organization. Organizations must recruit new employees who possess green knowledge. This study adopts a leadership perspective based on the concept of sustainable followership. This study reveals the importance of followers in bringing leaders’ internal willingness toward sustainability development goals. This study uses leader–member exchange theory to highlight the importance of followers in creating a sustainable culture through their knowledge, awareness and support from peers.

The influencing mechanism of leader and employee exchange satisfaction on employees' proactive behavior

On the basis of social exchange theory, we proposed the concept of exchange satisfaction, which refers to employees' and leaders' subjective perception of and degree of satisfaction with the quality of leader–member exchange. We found through an empirical study that exchange satisfaction had a significant positive impact on employees' proactive behaviors. Further, the higher the consistency between leader's exchange satisfaction and employees' exchange satisfaction, the greater was employees' work engagement, especially in the case of high–high consistency, where employees performed best when their proactive behaviors were affected via work engagement. Finally, employees' work engagement was greater and their proactive behaviors were more prominent when the satisfaction of the leader was higher than that of the employees. This research provides a new perspective and basis for understanding the leader–employee dual interaction.

Inclusive leadership enhancing employees’ Creativity Through Leader-Member-Exchange (LMX) quality

Inclusive leadership enhancing employees’ Creativity Through Leader-Member-Exchange (LMX) quality

The Effect Of Leader Member Exchange On Individual Performance Of Logistics Employees And The Mediating Role Of Career Satisfaction

Employees’ individual performance is influenced by many factors, and empirical studies in various cultures and sectors are conducted on this subject. There is a need for empirical research to identify the predictive factors of individual performance in different cultures and sectors. In this study, the factors affecting employees’ individual performance were examined based on Social Exchange Theory. In this context, the purpose of the study is to reveal the effect of logistics sector employees’ perceptions of leader-member exchange on performance outcomes and to examine the mediating effect of career satisfaction on this relationship. Quantitative research methods have been used in the study. It was conducted through a survey on a sample of logistics sector employees (n= 409) operating in Türkiye. In the study, it was determined that employees with high leader-member exchange have high career satisfaction and individual performance, and career satisfaction has a partial mediating effect on the effect of LMX on individual performance. Accordingly, the effects of LMX on individual performance can be enhanced mainly by improving career satisfaction. Since career satisfaction ensures that employees are satisfied not only with their jobs but also with their career development, the positive impact of this satisfaction on individual performance is significant. Therefore, it is critical for the success of the organization that logistics firm managers give importance to the career development of their employees and be supportive in this regard. Limitations, future research directions and theoretical and practical implications are discussed at the end of the study.

Driving Organizational Innovation in Public Healthcare: The Strategic Impact of Inclusive Leadership

In the public sector, it is essential to prioritize innovation and adaptation to efficiently tackle intricate and ever-changing difficulties. The objective of this study is to analyze how inclusive leadership affects the innovative work behavior of employees in the public healthcare sector and to determine the function of public service motivation and leader-member exchange theory in regulating this relationship. To evaluate the study’s hypotheses, data was collected from a field study of 300 public healthcare workers. The data was gathered via structured surveys and analyzed using Hayes' technique with the help of Mplus. The testing was combined with bootstrapping to analyze mediation and moderation relationships in the study. The results show a strong and positive connection between inclusive leadership and employees’ innovative work behavior in the public healthcare sector. Furthermore, the variables of autonomy and competence played a mediating role in the connection between inclusive leadership and individual work behavior. The study also includes a rigorous investigation of its results, as well as an analysis of their implications, limitations, and recommendations for future research endeavors.

The contribution of leader–member exchange (LMX) to organisational sustainable development: Results and implications from Kenyan public universities study

We aimed to establish the contribution of leader–member exchange (LMX) to sustainable development of public universities in the emerging country of Kenya. The participants were 320 employees from public universities in Kenya (female = 43.1%; middle level managers = 47.8%, top leadership team = 26.6%; mean year of service = 13 years, SD = 3.6 years). They completed measures on LMX, innovative work behaviour, organisational engagement and sustainable development. Following structural equation modelling, findings showed that high quality LMX characteristics exhibited between leaders and followers significantly contributed to organisational sustainable development. High quality LMX also significantly contributed to employee organisation engagement. The results further revealed that innovative work behaviour was positively associated with sustainable development in that high LMX relationships between leaders and their followers inspired workers to be more innovative in their jobs. Our findings suggest a need for emerging countries’ public universities to incorporate LMX in their policies and procedures for their sustainability. The results indicate that high LMX is a key factor for driving successful public universities in developing country settings.

Analisis Kinerja Pegawai Melalui Leader Member Exchange dan Kompetensi dengan Kepuasan Kerja sebagai Mediasi (Studi Kasus pada ASN di Lingkungan Pemerintah Kabupaten Pemalang)

This study aims to analyze the influence of Leader Member Exchange and competence on employee performance in Pemalang Regency Government, either directly or indirectly through job satisfaction as an intervening variable. The population used was all State Civil Servants at Diskominfo, BKD, Bapenda, BPKAD, and DPMPTSP Pemalang Regency, the size of the sample used was 155 respondents, with a proportionate stratified random sampling technique. The data source used is primary data, with a questionnaire data collection method. The analysis technique used is multiple linear regression analysis, path analysis and single test. The regression analysis results obtained that the Leader Member Exchange and competence have a positive effect on job satisfaction, and the Leader Member Exchange, competence, and job satisfaction have a positive effect on employee performance. Hypothesis test results show that (1) Leader Member Exchange has a positive and significant effect on job satisfaction, (2) Competence has a positive and significant effect on job satisfaction, (3) Job satisfaction has a positive and significant effect on employee performance, (4) Leader Member Exchange has a positive and significant effect on employee performance, and (5) Competence has a positive and significant effect on employee performance. The results of the path analysis and sobel test show that job satisfaction can mediate or strengthen the influence of the Leader Member Exchange on employee performance, and job satisfaction can mediate or strengthen the influence of competence on employee performance.

Nature, predictors, and outcomes of the psychological capital trajectories observed among upcoming police officers' undergoing vocational training

This study seeks to achieve a dynamic person-centered understanding of the nature of the psychological capital trajectories observed among upcoming police officers undergoing vocational training. Moreover, it seeks to document the predictive role of leader-member exchange and perceived organizational support in relation to these psychological capital trajectories, as well as the implications of these trajectories for a variety of outcomes related to trainees' attitudes (i.e., organizational cynicism, identification with the organization, engagement in the training program, and satisfaction toward the training program), psychological health (i.e., perceived stress), and behaviors (i.e., performance in the training program). A sample of 1200 participants undergoing a 33-week full-time vocational training program to become police officers were surveyed four times over a period of five months and a half. Results revealed that psychological capital trajectories corresponded to five primary profiles: Learning to Hate, High Fit, Moderate Fit, Honeymoon-Hangover, and Low Fit. Perceived leader-member exchange and organizational support were associated with these trajectories in a way that mainly supported our expectations. Trajectories characterized by lower levels of psychological capital were associated with higher levels of cynicism and stress, and with lower levels of engagement, identification, performance, and satisfaction. Conversely, trajectories characterized by higher levels of psychological capital were associated with the most positive outcomes.

Leading Knowledge Exploration and Exploitation in Schools: The Moderating Role of Teachers’ Open Innovation Mindset

Aim: The purpose of this paper is to identify teacher-level latent profiles of open innovation mindset and explore how these profiles moderate the effects of leader-member exchange on their exploitation and exploration activities. We also aim to investigate the indirect effects of principal transformational leadership on exploration activities via leader-member exchange. Research Design: Using a sample of 3,075 teachers working in 261 schools from 12 provinces across Türkiye, this study, first, employed a moderation analysis with latent profiles variables and, second, conduct a two-level structural equation model. Findings: Latent profile analysis produced three types of teacher mindset profiles: growth, average, and fixed. Findings indicate the quality of the dyadic exchange with the school principal did not influence engagement in exploitation activities of teachers with a growth mindset, whereas it contributed to the exploration activities of those teachers. Our results showed that when teachers perceived that their principal exhibited a higher level of transformational leadership behavior, they were more likely to have a higher leader-member exchange, which in turn increased the teachers’ exploration behavior. Implications: This study highlights both exploitative and explorative activities are facilitated by high-quality work-related social processes within the school, and we need to recognize affective and relational contexts in the schools, as they are primarily social institutions.

Workforce diversity in Cambodia: Does it make differences in employees' perceptions?

AbstractThis study explored the dynamics of workforce diversity and employees' perceptions of inclusion, fairness, organization support, and leader‐member exchange (LMX) in Cambodia. The survey was conducted with 90 participants in international non‐profit organizations. Data was analyzed using the nonparametric tests. Among diversity characteristics, gender and religion were associated with differences in interactional fairness and LMX. Marital status and educational level produced differences in LMX and distributive fairness, respectively. Further, higher job positions were found to be associated with positive inclusion and LMX. This study points to the necessity of establishing a culture of diversity and inclusion in Cambodian workplaces.

A study on the impact of perceived leadership member exchange on innovation behavior by university lectures

Based on the social exchange theory, this study used the convenience maximization method to submit a form to 832 teachers. SPSS and AMOS software were used to analyze teachers' cognition of leader-member exchange (LMX) and teachers' psychological empowerment and psychological safety in innovative behavior. Meanwhile, the influence of education and professional background on these factors was evaluated. It also explores the impact of the quality of leader-member exchange on innovation, and the intrinsic role of psychological empowerment and psychological security in the process. The results show that teachers with different academic levels and titles have significant differences in leader-member interaction behavior, behavioral innovation, psychological empowerment and psychological safety. In addition, the quality of leader-teacher interaction is positively correlated with innovative behavior and psychological empowerment, indicating that leadership plays a positive role in improving teachers' innovative behavior. Psychological empowerment and psychological safety, as the key, connect the complex relationship between leadership, educational environment and innovative behavior.These findings not only provide practical strategies for higher education administrators to promote teacher innovation, but also provide a theoretical basis for widespread application in the field of organizational and environmental psychology, highlighting the potential role of leadership in creating environments that support innovation, empowerment, and safety. This framework provides a powerful tool for creating an innovative and conducive work environment. Supported.