Beyond LMX: Examining the Effects of Leader-member Guanxi (LMG) on Employee Outcomes in China

Abstract

The research on leader-member relationship has been dominated by a Western leader-member exchange (LMX) perspective. However, due to its implicit cultural assumptions, LMX cannot fully capture the domain of leader-member relationship in Chinese contexts. In this study, we examined leader-member relationship from Chinese indigenous perspective with leader-member guanxi (LMG). Based on guanxi category theory (Hwang, 1987) and “differentiated order” model (Fei, 1947/1992), we examined the unique effects of LMG on employee outcomes such as task performance and promotability and the moderating effects of collectivism and power distance on the above relationship. In addition, we also examined the ..