Benevolent leadership and follower performance: The mediating role of leader–member exchange (LMX)

Abstract

This study examines leader-member exchange (LMX) as a mediator of the relationship between benevolent leadership and follower task performance and extra-role performance. Using a sample of 223 leader-member dyads in a nonprofit organization in the People's Republic of China, results indicate that benevolent leadership and LMX are positively related to follower task performance and organizational citizenship behavior towards the organization (OCBO). Findings also support that LMX partially mediates the relationship between benevolent leadership and follower task performance as well as fully mediates the relationship between benevolent leadership and OCBO. Implications for the theory and practice of leadership in Asia are discussed.

The curvilinear effect of benevolent leadership on team performance: The mediating role of team action processes and the moderating role of team commitment

“…Benevolence therefore literally means “goodwill,” and we believe that a leader's benevolence can certainly be good for teams. Without some degree of care and concern toward followers, leaders will not have engendered any sort of positive social exchange relationship, and subsequently, followers will have little incentive to trust a leader, to feel gratitude toward him or her and seek to reciprocate to the relationship, and will be less willing to follow the leader's guidance when he or she attempts to coordinate team task activities (Chan & Mak, ; Chen et al., ; Farh & Cheng, ; Martinez, ).…”

“…As such, we expect that benevolent leader behaviors will be beneficial for team performance as benevolence increases from a low to an optimal intermediate level. As initially discussed, studies have positioned benevolence as a salutary leader exchange behavior, one that stimulates followers to hold positive reciprocal attitudes and feel obligations to the leader, such as admiration and obedience (Chan & Mak, ; Chen et al., ). For teams, we propose that benevolence will motivate team members to comply with leader task instructions by being dedicated and effortful in their work, and to contribute to those task activities that help reach team goals (Farh & Cheng, ; Wang et al., ).…”

“…We expect that benevolent leadership has a curvilinear relationship with team action processes. When benevolent leader behaviors move from a low to moderate level, as theorized earlier, team members are likely to form an increasingly strong emotional bond with their leader, which motivates them to be more dedicated and effortful in work (Chan & Mak, ; Chen et al., ). Specifically, such positive reciprocal exchange relationships drive team members to behave with more role obligations, such as initiatively assess their performance relative to team's goals, track necessary resources to accomplish these goals, and provide assistance to each other in fulfilling tasks (Cheng & Wang, ).…”

Leadership research in Asia: Taking the road less traveled?

“…Ishikawa then empirically demonstrated that gatekeeping leadership, a leadership style that encourages information sharing, is conductive to shared leadership in R&D teams, which results in high team performance. Likewise, Chan and Mak (2012) examined the effect and the influencing mechanism of benevolent leadership, an indigenous Chinese leadership style. The results of Chan and Mak's (2012) study support the critical role of benevolent leadership behavior in shaping leader-member exchange qualities and employees' work performance using the sample of a Hong Kong volunteer organization.…”

Diversity in Unity: Perspectives from Psychology and Behavioral Sciences

“…The advantages gained include the increase of communication, levels of emotional support, and wider access (Dienesch & Liden, 1986;Graen & Scandura, 1987). The LMX affects the followers' task performance (Chan & Mak's, 2012), improves job performance, lowers turnover intention (Bauer et al, 2006), and improves job satisfaction, and organizational commitment (Lee, Teng, & Chen, 2015). The research by Hassan, et al (2013) examines that the LMX positively influences the subordinates' perception of leader effectiveness.…”