Leadership: Research Findings, Practice, and Skills by Andrew J. DuBrin

Author:Andrew J. DuBrin [DuBrin, Andrew J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Publisher: South-Western College Pub
Published: 2015-01-01T05:00:00+00:00

THE LEADER–MEMBER EXCHANGE MODEL AND TEAMWORK 299

LEADER

Group

Group

Group

Group

Group

Group

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

1

2

3

4

5

6

OUT-GROUP

IN-GROUP

(poor or neutral teamwork)

(good teamwork)

FIGURE 9-1 The Leader–Member Exchange Model.

Source: From Gregory Moorhead and Ricky W. Griffin, Organizational Behavior: Managing People and Organizations, 11th ed., p. 351. Copyright © 2014 by Cengage Learning.

group member is in or out with the leader. The positive regard that leaders

and members have for each other is a major contributor to the quality of

their relationship.42

A note of caution about leader–member exchanges is that evidence sug-

gests that the leader and the group members may perceive the quality of the

exchange differently.43 For example, the leader might think the exchange is

positive, whereas the subordinate might think the exchange is neutral or neg-

ative. Because of this difference in perception, the leader should look care-

fully for evidence of the quality of a relationship with a given subordinate.

Treatment of In-Group Versus Out-Group Members

In-group members are invited

to participate in important decision making, are given added responsibility,

and are privy to interesting gossip. Members of the out-group are managed

according to the requirements of their employment contract. They receive

little warmth, inspiration, or encouragement. In-group members tend to

achieve a higher level of performance, commitment, and satisfaction than

do out-group members. Furthermore, they are less likely to quit. A study con-

ducted in a retail setting found that when the quality of the leader–member

exchange is high, group members are more strongly committed to company

goals.44 In turn, this commitment leads to stronger teamwork because the

workers pull together to pursue goals.

Reciprocity Between Leader and Members

The in-group versus out-group sta-

tus also includes an element of reciprocity or exchange. The leader grants

more favors to the in-group member, who in response works harder to

please the leader, a contributor to being a good team player. Two studies

provide more specific information about the consequences of a positive

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300

CHAPTER 9 • DEVELOPING TEAMWORK

exchange between a supervisor and group members. In a hospital setting,

positive exchanges involved group members’ engaging in increased good cit-

izenship behavior and in-group role behaviors such as putting extra effort

into performing their duties.45 As a result, the leader would feel justified in

granting the in-group members more resources, such as a larger salary

increase or a larger budget.

Extra-Role Behavior

A study conducted in diverse industrial settings also

found that high-quality exchanges between supervisors and employees con-

tribute to employees’ engaging in extra-role behavior, or being cooperative in

ways that were not expected of them. Supervisory ratings of employee altru-

ism were used to measure helping behaviors, as when an accountant helps a

sales representative prepare a sales forecast. The researchers concluded that

through the development of high-quality relationships with group members,

supervisors are able to motivate the group members and enable them to

engage in helping behaviors that benefit them as well as their coworkers.

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