Where do I stand? Examining the effects of leader-member exchange social comparison on employee work behaviors.
Taking an approach integrating principles of leader-member exchange (LMX) differentiation with social comparison theory, we contend that subjective ratings by individuals of their LMX compared to the LMXs of coworkers (labeled LMX social comparison, or LMXSC) explain unique and meaningful variance in outcomes beyond LMX and the actual standing of those individuals in the LMX distribution, referred to as relative LMX, or RLMX. Our findings demonstrate that employees' perceptions of LMXSC are positively related beyond the effects of LMX and RLMX to job performance and citizenship behaviors. Further, we argue that LMXSC mediates the RLMX→outcomes relationships. Analyses showed that, in a sample of 254 employees nested in 50 work groups, a significant part of the effects of RLMX on job performance and citizenship behaviors was mediated through LMXSC after controlling for LMX.
Vidyarthi
Prajya R
PR
School of Business, Indiana University Kokomo, 2300 South Washington Street, Kokomo, IN 46904, USA. pvidyart@iuk.edu
Liden
Robert C
RC
Anand
Smriti
S
Erdogan
Berrin
B
Ghosh
Samiran
S
D000328:Adult; D003625:Data Collection / Q000379:methods; D006126:Group Processes; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D007857:Leadership; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015279:Organizational Culture; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D012919:Social Behavior; D017132:Workplace / Q000523:psychology*