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Relative leader-member exchange and employee voice: Mediating role of affective commitment and moderating role of Chinese traditionality

Hongdan Zhao (School of Management, Shanghai University, Shanghai, P.R. China)

Chinese Management Studies

ISSN: 1750-614X

Article publication date: 1 April 2014

1798

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to examine the effect of relative leader-member exchange (RLMX) on employee voice by developing a moderated mediation model. The model focuses on the mediating role of affective commitment underpinning the relationship between RLMX and employee voice, and the moderating role of Chinese traditionality in influencing the mediation.

Design/methodology/approach

We tested the model with data from 358 supervisor-subordinate dyads in a large Chinese company. Employees and their immediate supervisors provided data on separate questionnaires and on different occasions. And then, we used an identification number to match each employee questionnaire with the response of his/her immediate supervisor.

Findings

Results indicated that affective commitment fully mediated the positive relationship between RLMX and employee voice, even after controlling for personal leader-member exchange (LMX) quality. We also found that Chinese traditionality moderated the mediated relationship between RLMX and employee voice via affective commitment, such that the mediation was stronger for people lower, rather than higher, in Chinese traditionality.

Research limitations/implications

Testing the moderated mediation model helps to advance our theoretical understanding of the psychological mechanisms that underlie the effect of RLMX on employees’ behaviour.

Originality/value

This empirical study provides preliminary evidence of the mediating role of affective commitment in the positive relationship between RLMX and employee voice. Our moderated mediation model also extends the existing finding by adding substantive moderators (Chinese traditionality) to explain how the effect of RLMX on employees’ behaviours unfolds.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The author would like to thank Professor Check Teck Foo and the reviewer’s insightful suggestions. The research was supported by a grant from National Natural Science Foundation of China (71302047), China’s Doctoral Research Foundation of Ministry of Education (2013 3108120031), The Young College Teachers’ Training Scheme of Shanghai (B.37-0129-13-003), as well as the Innovation Foundation of Shanghai University (K.10-0129-13-002).

Citation

Zhao, H. (2014), "Relative leader-member exchange and employee voice: Mediating role of affective commitment and moderating role of Chinese traditionality", Chinese Management Studies, Vol. 8 No. 1, pp. 27-40. https://doi.org/10.1108/CMS-01-2013-0016

Publisher

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2014, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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