Relative leader-member exchange within work groups: the mediating effect of leader-member conversation quality on group-focused citizenship behavior

• Main Authors: Abu Bakar, Hassan, Connaughton, Stacey L.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: SAGE 2019
• Subjects: QA76 Computer software
• Online Access: http://repo.uum.edu.my/27001/1/IJBC%202019%201%2023.pdf; http://repo.uum.edu.my/27001/; http://doi.org/10.1177/2329488419871677
• Institution: Universiti Utara Malaysia

We introduce a multilevel model that examines how and when relative leader-member exchange (RLMX) within the work group associates with group members’ commitment and organizational citizenship behavior. Results of the study are based on data gathered from a sample of 155 leader-member dyads within 25 work groups in a Malaysian organization and provide support for the hypotheses. Specifically, the results obtained from the analysis of a hierarchical linear modeling showed that leader-member conversation quality mediates the relationship between RLMX and group-focused citizenship behavior. The findings suggest that the relative group members’ ratings of leader-member exchange have the ability to influence the quality of leader-member conversation and that this positive relationship of RLMX on group-focused citizenship behavior is contingent on the direct and indirect effect of leader-member conversation quality.