LMX Theory

This chapter develops the background and use of a basic principle for the entire book: LMX. Defined in the introduction, LMX is a relationship-based approach for managing teams. It drives leader effectiveness through developing dyadic relationships with members, and even using these dyads to build effective groups. Leaders measure the dyadic relationships in terms of the level of loyalty, support, respect, and trust. The leader treats each member as a unique individual as a singular relationship is built. In role making, leaders tend to put people into groups: in-group or out-group. LMX is a powerful way to create and nurture relationships between the leader and each member supervised. It shines the light on leadership communication and demonstrates how trust, respect, and loyalty can improve work relationships.

A literature review of leadership training and a novel conceptual model of leader-member exchange theory for new dentists

PurposeThe purpose of the paper is to describe the current state of leadership and leader–member exchange (LMX) theory in dentistry and develop a novel conceptual model of LMX to guide future research and highlight the importance of enhancing leadership training for new dentists.Design/methodology/approachA literature review exploring leadership in dentistry and LMX in dentistry was completed. The findings were analyzed with framework analysis to develop a novel conceptual model of LMX specific to dentistry.FindingsLMX theory was applied to leadership in dentistry, including a focus on new dentists, senior dentists, other dental team members and the patient. A new conceptual model of the New Dentist LMX Quartet, which is unique and specific to new dentist teams, was developed.Research limitations/implicationsThe study identifies the need for research in LMX in dentistry, contributes a new conceptual model for LMX theory and identifies future research.Practical implicationsPractitioners, policymakers and educators can utilize this information to explore concepts in leadership and improve training and dental practice.Originality/valueNo other studies specifically exploring LMX in dentistry for new dentists exist. The current literature review and conceptual paper begins the conversation on developing understanding of leadership in dentistry through further research.

The development and disruption of relationships between leaders and organizational members and the importance of trust

Our contribution lies in extending theorizing on relationship quality, by illustrating how the interwoven relationships between a leader and ‘follower’ may support or disrupt relationship development over time. Based on a study of leaders and organizational members in high-tech start-up firms, we provide concurrently a broader, more in-depth understanding, and therefore a more detailed and nuanced view, of how relationship quality develops or is disrupted. In particular, we highlight the importance of trust, exploring the under-researched topic of how differing interpretations of trust by leaders and organizational members can impact leaps of faith, acceptance, short-term or longer-term relationship quality. The findings address critiques of Leader Member Exchange (LMX) theory as the dominant explanatory construct for relationship quality, and highlight the need for longitudinal qualitative studies to explore the meanings both leaders and individual members of their organization give to their relationship over time.

Leader–Follower Congruence in Work Engagement and Leader–Member Exchange: The Moderating Role of Conscientiousness of Followers

Extant research has investigated the relationship between work engagement and various outcomes, such as job performance and organizational commitment, neglecting the effect of work engagement on social relationships at work. Drawing upon person-environment fit theory and LMX theory, the present study aims to examine the effect of (in)congruence between leader and follower work engagement on leader–member exchange (LMX) and the moderating effect of conscientiousness. About 273 employees and 72 leaders participated in this study and completed the measurements of work engagement, conscientiousness, and LMX at two time points. Using cross-level polynomial regressions, we found that, compared with incongruent work engagement, employees perceived high levels of LMX quality when their work engagement was aligned with that of their leaders. Regarding the congruence, the employees reported higher levels of LMX when congruence in work engagement was at higher rather than lower levels. Regarding the incongruence, when the employees engaged less in their work tasks than their leaders, they were more likely to experience lower LMX. Moreover, the negative relationship between incongruence in leader and follower work engagement and LMX was mitigated when followers were more conscientious. All our hypotheses were supported. Both theoretical and practical implications for work engagement as well as future directions are discussed.

Quality Relationships between Superiors and Subordinates as Well as Fellow Colleagues at the Sweetener and Fiber Research Centre in 2010-2019

Recurring organizational communication problems, lack of communication between superiors and subordinates, and also conflict at the employee level make the basis for researchers to conduct research and try to provide recommendations to improve conditions that occur in the Balittas organization. This study will focus on quality of relationships between superiors and subordinates as well as colleagues in organization. This study aims to describe and analyze the quality of the relationship between superiors and subordinates. This research was conducted using the Action Research method with the aim of being in Balittas from 2010 to 2019. Departing from the constructivism paradigm, this study carried out data collection by structured interviews and analyzed using the action research cycle from Coghland & Brannick. The quality of the relationship between superiors and subordinates, between colleagues for each period of each leader based on the LMX theory is dominated by the quality of the out group. This is because the relationship is only a contractual one. Subsequent research can develop the application of LMX theory in other government work units and create efforts to build quality in group relationships within Balittas. Based on LMX theory (low relationship quality) because the exchange of behavior of organizational members is limited to contractual ties and the low level of support and trust in each other.

THE MEANING OF RELATIONSHIP QUALITY BY THE BUSINESS LEADERS: RESULTS OF A QUALITATIVE STUDY

The aim of this research is to investigate the perception of the importance of relationship quality between the organisational leaders and their subordinates. Qualitative study methodology is used, applying the Leader-member exchange (LMX) theory as a ground for the research. The paper argues the importance of attributing the LMX to the organisational micro-foundation. Results suggest that despite of understanding of the importance of respect, trust, loyalty and other organisational assets for building effective organisational culture and competitiveness in the market, the large-size organisational leaders are not familiar with the concept of quality of relationship. Therefore, highlighting this theory and stressing the importance of relationship is particularly important in the educational process while the preparation of future leaders takes place.

Time-use preference and adaptation in relational exchanges

Orientation: Similarity of leaders and members encourage positive relational exchanges. However, the role of different time-use preferences, and how leaders and members adapt to the preferences of others in relational exchanges have not yet been studied.Research Purpose: This research explores how time-use preference plays a role in the dyadic relationships between leaders and members within leader–member exchange (LMX) theory.Motivation for the study: We argue that differences between the time-use preferences of leaders and team members result in relational adaptations.Research approach/design and method: The qualitative research design employed semi-structured interviews with nine leaders and 11 employees in a major retail bank in South Africa and data were analysed through thematic analysis.Main findings: The research shows the nature of time-use preference in varying relational exchanges, discover how time-use preferences manifest and how leaders and members adapt to one another’s preferences.Contribution/value add: The study contributes to time-use preference literature by illustrating how polychronic and monochronic preferences may manifest in the workplace. Furthermore, we contribute to an understanding of the nature of relational exchanges in LMX theory by illustrating the influence of polychronicity on dyadic relationships and discuss how leaders and members adapt their preferences.Practical/managerial implications: We propose a framework of the dynamics of time-use preference-based relational entrainment and provide practical considerations to help mitigate the negative impacts that differing preferences can have.

Work overload and leader–member exchange: The moderating role of psychological flexibility

Due to the strong focus on dyadic relationships in leader–member exchange (LMX) theory, it is vital to investigate the predictors of the types of relationships that leaders and subordinates develop. This study explores the supervisor-level antecedents of LMX. Drawing from conservation of resources theory, this study tests whether leaders’ psychological flexibility moderates the relationship between leaders’ perceptions of work overload and LMX. A field study was conducted among 186 subordinates and 93 leaders from a Norwegian public service organization. Multisource field data demonstrated general support for the hypothesized relationships. The results of multilevel analyses showed a negative relation between the perceptions of work overload of leaders with lower levels of psychological flexibility and their subordinates’ perceptions of LMX. Thus, psychological flexibility seemed to mitigate the negative implications of leaders’ work overload. This study extends previous studies on managers’ perceptions of work overload by introducing an important contingency of the relationship between managers’ perceptions of work overload and the quality of their relationship with subordinates. As such, this study contributes to a more complete understanding of the factors that relate to the development of high-quality LMX.

THE BURNOUT EPIDEMIC DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC: THE ROLE OF LMX IN ALLEVIATING PHYSICIANS’ BURNOUT

ABSTRACT During COVID-19 pandemic, physicians are being exposed to unprecedented adverse working conditions that lead to increased occurrence of burnout. While supportive leadership is considered effective in preventing burnout, little is known about the role of leadership in extreme situations. Drawing on leader-member exchange (LMX) theory, we hypothesize that high-LMX relationships lead to lower levels of burnout, as they shape physicians’ perceptions of psychosocial job demands and resources. We also contend that this effect will be stronger for frontline physicians, as they are more exposed to job stressors. In a field study with 2,708 Brazilian physicians, we found support to the alleviating role of LMX, but contrary to what we predicted, we found that this effect is weaker for frontline physicians. Overall, our findings reinforce the importance of establishing high-quality relationships between supervisors and medical staff to mitigate the experience of burnout, however, they also highlight that extreme conditions, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, might constrain the beneficial effects of leadership behaviors.