Integrating Implicit Leadership Theories, Leader–Member Exchange, Self-Efficacy, and Attachment Theory to Predict Job Performance

Abstract

The impact of implicit leadership theories on performance and the mechanism linking them have received insufficient theoretical and research attention. Drawing on Bandura's social cognitive theory, the present study contributes theory through examining the assertion that higher congruence between followers' implicit leadership theory and the characteristics of supervisors enhance job performance through higher quality of leader-member exchange and self-efficacy. Moreover, in the proposed model, attachment insecurity was considered as the antecedent of the congruence and leader-member exchange in addition to the moderator of the relationship between them. Capitalizing upon Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), this study tested the model in a field study using a sample of employees in knowledge-oriented firms in Iran. The results suggest that the congruence between followers' implicit leadership theory and the characteristics of supervisors does not directly impact performance and leader-member exchange and self-efficacy are the full mediators. The results also showed that attachment insecurity is the predictor of neither the congruence nor the leader-member exchange. Additionally, attachment insecurity moderates the relationship between these two variables in a way that when attachment insecurity is high, the congruence has more positive impact on leader-member exchange.

The impact of leader–member exchange on lodging employees’ dynamic capacities: The mediating role of job satisfaction

“…Previous researches in the related field indicated that employees’ work outcomes can be reinforced by a high-quality relationship with their supervisor (Kim and Koo, 2017; Klein and Kim, 1998). Khorakian and Sharifirad (2018: 17) discussed LMX and performance together in their study and they considered that self-efficacy as social-cognitive structure plays as a bridge on the gap between LMX and performance. On the other hand, few studies report nonsignificant relationships between LMX and work outcomes (Scandura and Pellegrini, 2008).…”

How does self-performance expectation foster breakthrough creativity in the employee's cognitive level? An application of self-fulfilling prophecy

“…Our findings propose when creativity is supreme, the employee should be conscious of the expectations they hold on themselves, which shape their creative thoughts. Such cognitions are particularly crucial in modern organizations where the employee keep low expectations for their creativity (Khorakian & Sharifirad, 2019). Though other factors may take part, our findings point out that the employees' self-beliefs and hierarchical position stimulate or suffocate their creative effort in the organization.…”

Fulfilled Expectations about Leaders Predict Engagement through LMX

“…When ILTs were used in applied settings to determine their impact on various organizational outcomes, researchers measured them either directly, by asking participants about the degree to which their leaders possess specific ILTs traits (e.g., Khorakian & Sharifirad, 2019) or indirectly, by measuring two sets of ILTs traits, one representing participants' expectations from ideal leaders and a parallel one, assessing recognition of those ILTs traits in their actual leaders (e.g., Biermeier-Hanson & Coyle, 2019). In the second case, researchers computed a congruence score, underpinning the ideal-actual match, which they used to predict various outcomes.…”