The relationships amongst leader-member exchange, perceived organizational support, affective commitment, and in-role performance

Abstract

Purpose-The purpose of this paper is to examine whether leader-member exchange (LMX) and perceived organizational support (POS) have interactive effects on affective commitment to the organization. The utility of Social Exchange Theory for explaining workplace attitudes and behaviors in non-Western settings has been questioned. Another objective is to test the hypotheses, which are based on Social Exchange Theory, within a Chinese context. Design/methodology/approach-Cross-sectional, self-report data on LMX, POS and affective commitment were obtained from 428 full-time employees in China. In-role performance ratings were provided by immediate supervisors. Findings-LMX and POS have synergistic effects on affective commitment. Affective commitment mediates both the relationship between LMX and in-role performance and the relationship between POS and in-role performance. Research limitations/implications-The limitations include using a cross-sectional, self-report design for LMX, POS and affective commitment, and only sampling employees in organizations in China. The findings support an explanation of workplace attitudes and behaviors in a non-Western setting based on social exchange. The effects of a proximate source of social exchange (i.e. LMX) on affective commitment depend on the level of a remote source of social exchange (i.e. POS), and vice versa. Practical implications-Organizations need to improve the quality of their leader-follower relationships and support their members. Organizations need to increase affective commitment because it appears to drive in-role performance. Originality/value-The authors show that LMX and POS from the same source (i.e. followers) may have interactive effects on affective organizational commitment as well as that social exchange may explain workplace attitudes and behaviors in China.

Influence of Social Exchange Relationships on Affective Commitment and Innovative Behavior: Role of Perceived Organizational Support

“…We tend to perceive that POS provides a cherished and effective environment to motivate employees to continue their IB. Furthermore, our results support findings from previous empirical research [47,67,[126][127][128], which suggests that POS is positively associated with employees' IB and affective commitment.…”

“…Therefore, Eisenberger et al and Liu, [63,72] suggested that when the employees recognize their organization is supportive and take care of them, then they will more likely be committed towards the organization. Furthermore, previous empirical research proposed that POS positively influences employees' affective commitment and innovative work behavior [47,67,126,127]. Along the lines of SET, a high POS is associated with better mood, self-esteem, behaviors, and positive attitudes; low POS is related to a depressed mood, lower self-esteem, behaviors, and attitudes that are not beneficial for achieving organizational goals [72,130].…”

The Barrier and Strategy of Higher Education in Developing Human Resources

“…That is why having qualified faculty / lecturers and students, if not balanced with good system and organizational support, the competitiveness of such educational institutions will not be high. In line with the research by Casimir et al (2014) and Allen & Shanock (2013) showed that organizational support to employees will increase the commitment and performance of these employees.…”

Perceived organizational support and affective organizational commitment: Moderating influence of perceived organizational competence

“…Therefore, by enhancing AC, POS should lead to increased performance. Accordingly, AC has been found to mediate the association between POS and performance (Casimir, Ng, Wang, & Ooi, ). However, our hypothesized moderating influence of POC on the relationship between POS and AC should influence the indirect effect of POS on performance via AC (i.e., conditional indirect effect).…”