THE ROLE OF GENDER MATCH, LMX TENURE, AND SUPPORT IN LEADER-MEMBER EXCHANGE

Abstract

The study explores the impact of gender-match, LMX tenure, and supervisory support in predicting the quality of leader-member exchange. Additionally, it aims at establishing whether there are significant variations in the quality of exchange within a group. Drawing a sample of 201 Malaysian employees from different supervisory levels, we tested several causal hypotheses pertaining to antecedents and impact of leader-member exchange (LMX) by means of structural equation modeling. The analysis indicated individual-level analysis for LMX. Whereas gender match influenced LMX-Affect, perceived supervisory support positively affected both currencies of LMX and organizational support (POS). The impact of gender match on POS was mediated by LMX-Affect. Contrary to our expectations, LMX tenure did not influence LMX-Affect, and LMX-perceived contribution did not influence organizational support. Implications of the findings are discussed and directions for future research are suggested.