The implications of perceived leader favouritism in the context of leader-member exchange relationships
Journal
European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology
Journal Volume
27
Journal Issue
1
Pages
88-99
Date Issued
2018
Author(s)
Bolino, M.C.
Abstract
Leader-member exchange (LMX) theory suggests that supervisors have relatively high-quality exchange relationships with some employees and relatively low-quality relationships with others. Prior investigations indicate that employees who have high-quality LMX relationships with their supervisors benefit in terms of more positive work attitudes and higher performance than those who do not. However, when employees feel like their supervisors are favouring some employees over others, it is likely to undermine the positive effects of LMX (even among employees who have high-quality exchanges with their supervisor). Using data from 305 employees and their coworkers, we found that the positive effects of LMX (regarding organizational citizenship behaviour, withdrawal behaviour, and relative deprivation regarding one’s career) were weakened by perceived leader favouritism. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.
SDGs
Type
journal article