Leader–member exchange (LMX) and work performance: an application of self-determination theory in the work context

ABSTRACT

Using self-determination theory (SDT) as a guiding framework, we examined the effects of leader–member exchange (LMX) on performance through psychological need satisfaction and intrinsic motivation. Lagged data was collected from 333 dental hygienists across four time points. We examined three forms of performance: task performance, organizational citizenship behaviour (OCB), and counterproductive work behaviour (CWB). LMX was positively related to all three forms of psychological need satisfaction (competence, relatedness, autonomy), autonomy need satisfaction was positively related to intrinsic motivation, and intrinsic motivation was negatively related to CWB. Overall, there were significant indirect effects from LMX to all forms of performance; however, the mediating mechanisms varied. LMX was indirectly linked to task performance through competence need satisfaction and autonomy need satisfaction, to OCB through competence need satisfaction, and to CWB through the sequential effects of autonomy need satisfaction on intrinsic motivation. Our results highlight the complexity of the LMX-performance relationship and show that SDT can help to explain the relationship, depending on the type of performance being assessed.

KEYWORDS:

• Leader–member exchange
• performance
• organizational citizenship behaviour
• counterproductive work behaviour
• self-determination theory

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Supplementary data

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/1359432X.2023.2276535

Notes

1. We used a Harman one-factor test (Podsakoff & Organ, 1986) and an instrumental variable approach (Saridakis et al., 2020) to assess common method variance and endogeneity, respectively. Results from these analyses indicated that these were not significant issues in our model.

Additional information

Funding

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.This study was approved by the Bowling Green State University Institutional Review Board (Project #1073732).