The relationship between leader construal level and leader-member exchange relationship

2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (8) ◽  
pp. 845-859
Author(s):  
Sevgi Emirza ◽  
Alev Katrinli

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of leader’s construal level, which is the tendency of the leader to construe things abstractly or concretely, on leader-member exchange (LMX) quality and the moderating role of relational demography, which is the comparative similarity between supervisor and subordinate in demographic characteristics. The authors hypothesize a positive relationship between leader construal level and the quality of relationship, such that, as the leader’s construal level increases and becomes more abstract, the quality of relationship improves. Furthermore, demographic similarity is expected to moderate the relationship between leader construal level and LMX quality. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from 159 employees with an online questionnaire. Hierarchical regression analysis was used for hypothesis testing. Findings Results show that the leader’s construal level is positively associated with LMX quality. Moreover, demographic similarity moderates this relationship such that when subordinate and supervisor have similar demographic characteristics, the effect of leader construal level on LMX is higher. Originality/value This study addresses the call for further research on leader-related antecedents of LMX by showing that leader construal level predicts relationship quality. This study also enhances our understanding of how to leverage the construal level in leadership research. Moreover, this study provides a deeper and more integrated understanding regarding the development of LMX relationships by delineating the interactive effect of leader-related features and relational demography.

2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sevgi Emirza ◽  
Alev Katrinli

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate whether leader-follower similarity in construal level of the work, which indicates the degree of abstraction applied to mental representation of the work, influences the quality of interpersonal relationship at work.Design/methodology/approachFirst, an interview study was conducted to adapt the work-based construal-level (WBCL) scale. Then, a survey study was conducted for hypothesis testing. Data collected from 245 matched supervisor-subordinate dyads were analyzed using multi-level modeling.FindingsResults revealed that dyadic similarity in work-domain construal level is positively related to leader-member exchange (LMX) quality. As a leader and a follower become similar to each other in terms of mental representation (i.e. construal level) of work, they experience higher relationship quality.Originality/valueThis study enhances the current knowledge of the role of cognition and cognitive similarity in leadership processes.


2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 61
Author(s):  
Kabul Wahyu Utomo

<em>This study tries to focus on testing about political skills as moderating variable to the relationship between demographic similarity especially ethnic and the quality of leader-member exchange. This study used the survey method and using by questionnaires. From the questionnaire spread as many as 500, the number of questionnaire can be processed are 364 (the respond rate 72,8 % ). The research is done in four institutions in two cities in Jakarta and Yogyakarta. Variables in this study were variable independent used of similarity ethnic between leaders and subordinate. Their dependent variable is the quality of leader-member exchange. Next, the relationship between the two the variable is moderated by political skill as moderating variable. The analysis was conducted using regression analysis and the hierarchical regression. The outcome of this study suggests that there is a positive correlation between the demographic similarity of superior-subordinate specialty ethnicity and the quality of leader-member exchange. Then, the interesting thing about the research is correlation between the demographic similarity of superior-subordinate specialty ethnicity and the leader-member exchange moderated by political skills. But there is an interesting one, that is the connection between a demographic similarity (ethic) and the leader-member exchange moderated by the political skills has negative effect. Furthermore, discussion, the implications and many recommendation of this study are discussed in this study.</em>


2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-62 ◽  
Author(s):  
Decha Dechawatanapaisal

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the roles of demographic characteristics (i.e. generations and organizational tenure) and psychological factors (i.e. leader-member exchange and self-efficacy) as moderators of the relationship between job embeddedness and turnover intention, and the mediating effect of turnover intention between job embeddedness and actual turnover. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from 422 health-care workers through a questionnaire survey and analyzed by means of a confirmatory factor analysis and hierarchical regression. Findings The results reveal that less embedded employees who perceive a lower level of leader–member exchange quality are more likely to indicate an intention to leave. The negative relationship between job embeddedness and turnover intention is stronger among less embedded employees with high self-efficacy. The finding also indicates that turnover intention plays a significant mediating role in the relationship between job embeddedness and actual turnover. Research limitations/implications The current research took place within two health-care organizations. Replicating the study in a variety of industries, professions or cultures would be useful for the generalizability of the findings. Practical implications Organizations may improve their retention of employees by nurturing the leader–member exchange relationship to enhance a social web that bonds them together. Managers may need to pay attention to making a greater effort to embed individuals in their jobs, so that they are better able to cope successfully with challenges and organize the workday to accommodate them. Originality/value This study examines the moderating roles of individual characteristics and psychological factors on the relationship between job embeddedness and turnover intention, which has not been extensively investigated in the literature.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 146-158 ◽  
Author(s):  
Youngkeun Choi

Purpose Based on the conservation of resources theory, the purpose of this paper is to develop and test the relationship between workplace ostracism and psychological distress of male employees. And depending on the leader member exchange (LMX) theory, it assumes that the relationship between workplace ostracism and psychological distress of male employees is moderated by the LMX. Design/methodology/approach For this, this study used a survey method and multiple regression analyses with multi-source data from 226 male Korean employees and their supervisors. Findings The results suggest the following. First, workplace ostracism was positively associated with job tension, emotional exhaustion and depressed moods at work for male employees. Second, there was a stronger positive relationship between workplace ostracism and job tension, or emotional exhaustion for male employees with low, as opposed to those with high, levels of LMX. Originality/value This study is the first one to examine the moderating effect of LMX on the relationship between workplace ostracism and psychological distress of male employees.


2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 133-152
Author(s):  
Gregory Thrasher ◽  
Marcus Dickson ◽  
Benjamin Biermeier-Hanson ◽  
Anwar Najor-Durack

Purpose This study aims to integrate social identity and leader–member exchange (LMX) theory to investigate the processes and boundary conditions around LMX–performance relationships. Through the application of two leader–follower subsamples, the authors test three main objectives. What is the effect of multi-dimensional dyad value-congruence on LMX and how does congruence on these dimensions differentially influence leader and follower perceptions of LMX? In a subsample of followers including supervisor-rated performance, the authors develop a model that examines how individual values moderate the effect of dyad contact on supervisor-rated job performance mediated by follower LMX. Design/methodology/approach The participants for this study include graduate and undergraduate social work students who were taking part in a one-year work placement within a social work organization as well as their immediate supervisors. Across a four-month period, participants filled out measures of their supervisor contact, work values and LMX. Supervisor-rated performance was also included. Findings Findings from the dyadic subsample show that growth value congruence is a predictor of follower-rated LMX, with value congruence across all values having no effect on leader-rated LMX. Within a subsample of followers, findings suggest that follower-rated LMX mediates the relationship between dyad contact and supervisor-rated job performance, with individual work values moderating this effect. Originality/value The current study offers several contributions to the literature on LMX and job performance. First, in this study’s dyadic leader–follower sample, the authors extend propositions made by social identity theory around value congruence and LMX by offering support for a multi-dimensional and multi-target approach to questions of values and LMX. Second, within this study’s larger non-dyadic sample, the authors offer insights into previous conflicting findings around dyad contact and LMX, by offering support for the indirect effect of dyad contact on supervisor-rated performance via LMX. Third, within this second sample, the authors also extend the literature on values and LMX to show that the process through which LMX influences job performance is dependent on follower values.


2017 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 509-532 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vincent Kai Jie Aw ◽  
Oluremi Bolanle Ayoko

Purpose Although how leaders shape their followers’ behaviors and outcomes is core to the leadership literature, empirical research exploring how followers might impact their leaders’ behaviors is just emerging. Using a follower-centric approach, this study aims to examine the link between followers’ conflict behaviors, transformational leadership (TL) and the quality of team member exchange (TMX). Additionally, the authors hypothesized and tested the moderating role of TMX quality in the relationship between TL and teams’ work engagement. Design/methodology/approach Quantitative data were collected randomly from 261 employees in 41 teams to examine the connection between followers’ conflict behaviors, TL and TMX and team engagement. Findings Using bottom-up/bootstrapping approach, results showed followers’ problem-solving conflict behaviors were positively linked with team leaders’ TL behaviors while improving TMX quality. Additionally, TL was connected with high levels of team work engagement and this connection was enhanced by TMX quality. Implications of the results are discussed. Research limitations/implications Although this conceptual model revealed followers as impacting TL and TMX, there is also a possibility that TL and TMX quality may be able to impact employees’ conflict behaviors. Additionally, the current study adopted a cross-sectional research design which does not allow for an assessment of cause and effect. Therefore, caution should be taken in interpreting the results. Finally, the authors studied employees from a single national culture. Yet, they know that national culture may influence the relationship between TL and conflict at the individual and team levels. Overall, the present research showed that individual followers’ conflict behaviors were associated with TL behaviors and TMX quality. Practical implications On a practical note, managers would be more successful in managing conflict in teams if they would observe their followers’ conflict behaviors and act as role models in displaying problem solving conflict behaviors – an approach that has been identified in this study to assist in eliciting transformational behaviors from the leader. Furthermore, training is indicated. Organizations should consider training leaders in TL given that our result shows that TL has a direct positive connection with employee’s work engagement. Specifically, the followers’ conflict behaviors should now be incorporated into the leadership (e.g. transformational) training programs. Finally, managers who need to boost team work engagement should consider increasing the quality of the TMX in the team. Social implications The leaders behavioral style may partly be dependent on the followers’ conflict management behaviors. Originality/value Thus far, research on leadership have been leader-centric, and while the authors are aware that followers have an important role in shaping the leaders’ behaviors, research in this area has until recently ignored how followers might impact their leaders’ style, processes and the quality of employee interactions, especially at the team level. The authors found for the first time that problem-solving conflict behaviors were connected with team leaders’ TL style and TMX quality.


2019 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 20-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shaun Pichler ◽  
Beth Livingston ◽  
Andrew Yu ◽  
Arup Varma ◽  
Pawan Budhwar ◽  
...  

PurposeThe diversity literature has yet to investigate relationships between diversity and leader–member exchanges (LMX) at multiple levels of analysis. The purpose of this paper is to test a multilevel model of nationality diversity and LMX. In doing so, the authors investigate the role of surface- and deep-level diversity as related to leader–member exchange differentiation (LMXD) and relative LMX (RLMX), and hence to subordinate job performance.Design/methodology/approachThe authors test a multilevel model of diversity and LMX using multisource survey data from subordinates nesting within supervisors. The authors do so in a context where diversity in nationality is pervasive and plays a key role in LMXs, i.e., a multinational organization in Dubai. The authors tested the cross-level moderated model using MPlus.FindingsThe results suggest surface-level similarity is more important to RLMX than deep-level similarity. The relationship between surface-level similarity and RLMX is moderated by workgroup nationality diversity. When workgroups are more diverse, there is a positive relationship between dyadic nationality similarity and RLMX; when workgroups are less diverse, similarity in nationality matters less. Moreover, LMXD at the workgroup level moderates the relationship between RLMX and performance at the individual level.Originality/valueThis study is one of very few to examine both diversity and LMX at multiple levels of analysis. This is the first study to test the workgroup diversity as a cross-level moderator of the relationship between deep-level similarity and LMX. The results challenge the prevailing notion that that deep-level similarity is more strongly related to LMX than surface-level diversity.


2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (6) ◽  
pp. 780-793 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yusuf Cerit

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the mediating effect of leader-member exchange on school bureaucratic structure and teachers’ proactive behavior. Design/methodology/approach The study was carried out in elementary schools in Turkey. Classroom teachers proactive behavior was measured using the taking charge scale developed by Morrison and Phelps (1999), school bureaucratic structure was measured using enabling school structure scale developed by Hoy and Sweetland (2000), and LMX quality was measured using the seven-item LMX scale developed by Graen ve Uhl-bien (1995). Findings It was found that school bureaucratic structure had both directly and indirectly effect on teachers proactive behavior via leader-member exchange. Research limitations/implications This study contributes to complete proactive behavior literature by investigating how such behavior is related to the quality of LMX relationships and school bureaucratic structure. The investigation of these relationships is likely to advance understanding of the consequences of teachers’ proactive behavior. Originality/value This research combines prior research streams by jointly exploring bureaucratic school structure and the quality of LMX relationships as predictors of teachers’ proactive behaviors.


2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Naveed Anwar ◽  

Purpose: This research contributes further into investigating the impact of Social Comparison (i.e. Negative Social Comparison (NSC) and Positive Social Comparison (PSC) and work attitudes (i.e. Overall Job Satisfaction- OJS and Affective Commitment – AC using Leader Member Exchange (LMX) as a potential mediator among the relationship of Social Comparison and work attitudes. Design / Methodology / Approach: This research is causal, descriptive and cross-sectional in nature. Following positivist research paradigm data was collected from 232 employees of First tier commercial banks using a self-administrative survey. Factor Analysis, Multiple Regression Analysis, ANOVA, Pearson Correlation and Descriptive statistics were used to test the hypothesis of the study and provide conclusion about the hypothesis. The mediation effects of Leader member exchange was also tested using the steps of Baron and Kenny (1986). Findings: The results exhibited that the Positive Social Comparison has positive association with Affective Commitment (AC) and overall job satisfaction (OJS). Further, NSC relationship was negatively significant with Affective Commitment, and also it was found to have a significant negative relationship with Overall Job Satisfaction. LMX, Leader Member Exchange mediates the relationship among Social Comparison Negative and Positive Social Comparison. Originality/Value: These significant results have shown the importance of quality of Leader Member Exchange and its impact in yielding the positive organizational outcomes. As long as the managers pay a good attention towards the quality of relationship among them and their workers, the chances are that any type of comparison (Negative or Positive) will have less chance to affect the organizational outcomes, such as affective commitment and overall job satisfaction. These results are vital for HR practitioners and will assist in designing quality HPWPs in organizations.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aneeq Inam ◽  
Jo Ann Ho ◽  
Siew Imm Ng ◽  
Rosmah Mohamed

PurposeLeadership styles appear to influence unethical pro-organizational behavior (UPB), but there has been little empirical research on employees' ethical behavior as an outcome of responsible leadership. This study examines the positive effect of responsible leadership on unethical pro-organizational behavior (UPB) via the mediator, leader–member exchange (LMX).Design/methodology/approachResponses from 200 full-time working employees in Pakistan were collected in two waves, and structural equation modeling was used to test the hypotheses.FindingsThe results indicated that LMX mediated the relationship between responsible leadership and UPB. Our research also yielded a negative relationship between responsible leadership and employees' willingness to engage in UPB and between LMX and UPB. In addition, the mediation and direct relationship results were stronger for employees who spent more than seven years in the organization as compared to those with less than seven years.Research limitations/implicationsThe leader's responsible behavior trickles down to the subordinates and encourages their employees to behave responsibly too. We also showed that responsible leadership influenced employees’ UPB engagement through LMX.Practical implicationsBy adopting a responsible leadership style through training practices and appraisal tools, organizations may increase quality exchange relationship between leader and subordinates, which will reduce UPB.Originality/valueThis paper is one of the few empirical studies which have examined the relationship between responsible leadership, LMX and UPB. The results from our study help to enhance findings from earlier studies on the antecedents of UPB. Contrary to previous studies, our study also shows that LMX can lead to ethical behavior i.e. reduce UPB.


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