IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/jbrese/v206y2026ics0148296325007611.html

Reciprocal relationship between newcomer task performance and leader–member exchange: The moderating role of political skill

Author

Listed:
  • Yang, Yixin
  • Lin, Xiaowan
  • Zhou, Mingjian

Abstract

Although research has extensively examined how leader–member exchange (LMX) influences employees’ performance, little is known about the reciprocal relationship between these variables during the initial phase of the leader–member interaction. Drawing on social exchange theory, we propose that newcomers’ task performance has a positive time-lagged effect on LMX and vice versa. We further incorporate the political skill literature and propose that political skill strengthens both directions of this reciprocal relationship, such that newcomers with higher political skill more effectively signal competence to facilitate LMX development and leverage leader-provided resources to improve their task performance. We test these predictions using a three-wave longitudinal study of newcomers during the organizational socialization stage and find partial support for our proposed model. We also discuss the theoretical implications for understanding LMX development and newcomer research, and the practical implications for facilitating effective socialization.

Suggested Citation

  • Yang, Yixin & Lin, Xiaowan & Zhou, Mingjian, 2026. "Reciprocal relationship between newcomer task performance and leader–member exchange: The moderating role of political skill," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 206(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:206:y:2026:i:c:s0148296325007611
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2025.115938
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0148296325007611
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.jbusres.2025.115938?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Yunfeng Sun & Hao Yang & Chongyang Qian & Yifeng Jiang & Xiaowei Luo & Xiang Wu, 2022. "Voice Endorsement and Employee Safety Voice Behavior in Construction Projects: The Mediating Role of Leader-Member Exchange," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(6), pages 1-17, March.
    2. Nahrgang, Jennifer D. & Morgeson, Frederick P. & Ilies, Remus, 2009. "The development of leader-member exchanges: Exploring how personality and performance influence leader and member relationships over time," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 108(2), pages 256-266, March.
    3. Lucas Dufour & Pablo I. Escribano & Massimo Maoret, 2021. "(How) Will I Socialize You? The Impact of Supervisor Initial Evaluations and Subsequent Support on the Socialization of Temporary Newcomers," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 32(3), pages 881-908, May.
    4. Terpstra-Tong, Jane & Ralston, David A. & Treviño, Len J. & Naoumova, Irina & de la Garza Carranza, María Teresa & Furrer, Olivier & Li, Yongjuan & Darder, Fidel León, 2020. "The Quality of Leader-Member Exchange (LMX): A Multilevel Analysis of Individual-level, Organizational-level and Societal-level Antecedents," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 26(3).
    5. K. Kacmar & Martha Andrews & Kenneth Harris & Bennett Tepper, 2013. "Ethical Leadership and Subordinate Outcomes: The Mediating Role of Organizational Politics and the Moderating Role of Political Skill," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 115(1), pages 33-44, June.
    6. Wu, Joshua B. & Hom, Peter W. & Tetrick, Lois E. & Shore, Lynn M. & Jia, Liangding & Li, Chaoping & Song, Lynda Jiwen, 2006. "The Norm of Reciprocity: Scale Development and Validation in the Chinese Context," Management and Organization Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 2(3), pages 377-402, November.
    7. Yidong Tu & Xinxin Lu, 2016. "Work-to-Life Spillover Effect of Leader–Member Exchange in Groups: The Moderating Role of Group Power Distance and Employee Political Skill," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 17(5), pages 1873-1889, October.
    8. Fong-Yi Lai & Hui-Chuan Tang & Szu-Chi Lu & Yu-Chin Lee & Cheng-Chen Lin, 2020. "Transformational Leadership and Job Performance: The Mediating Role of Work Engagement," SAGE Open, , vol. 10(1), pages 21582440198, January.
    9. Gao, Shanshan & Lin, Xiaowan & Lam, Long W., 2024. "How learning-goal-oriented newcomers develop leader-member exchange (LMX): From agentic and communal behavior perspectives," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 176(C).
    10. Joshua B. Wu & Peter W. Hom & Lois E. Tetrick & Lynn M. Shore & Liangding Jia & Chaoping Li & Lynda Jiwen Song, 2006. "The Norm of Reciprocity: Scale Development and Validation in the Chinese Context," Management and Organization Review, The International Association for Chinese Management Research, vol. 2(3), pages 377-402, November.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Ling, Qian & Lin, Meizhen & Wu, Xiaoyi, 2016. "The trickle-down effect of servant leadership on frontline employee service behaviors and performance: A multilevel study of Chinese hotels," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 341-368.
    2. Liu, Song & Zhou, Hao, 2025. "Does gamified training improve training performance? A dual-pathway moderated mediation model," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 188(C).
    3. repec:bjc:journl:v:9:y:2022:i:8:p:55-61 is not listed on IDEAS
    4. Yan Li & David Ahlstrom & Neal Ashkanasy, 2010. "A multilevel model of affect and organizational commitment," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 27(2), pages 193-213, June.
    5. Yina Mao & Kelly Peng & Chi-Sum Wong, 2012. "Indigenous research on Asia: In search of the emic components of guanxi," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 29(4), pages 1143-1168, December.
    6. Taolin Wang & Lirong Long & Yong Zhang & Wei He, 2019. "A Social Exchange Perspective of Employee–Organization Relationships and Employee Unethical Pro-organizational Behavior: The Moderating Role of Individual Moral Identity," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 159(2), pages 473-489, October.
    7. Martina Pieperhoff, 2018. "The Explanatory Power of Reciprocal Behavior for the Inter-Organizational Exchange Context," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(6), pages 1-18, June.
    8. Nick Lin-Hi & Xiaohan Gao-Urhahn & Torsten Biemann & Irmela F. Koch-Bayram, 2023. "Internal CSR and blue-collar workers’ attitudes and behaviors in China: a combination of a cross-sectional study and a field experiment," Asian Business & Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 22(3), pages 1185-1213, July.
    9. Kryszak, Łukasz & Czyżewski, Bazyli & Sapa, Agnieszka & Lucasenco, Eugenia, 2025. "Does a sense of intergenerational commitments modify farmers' preferences for conservation tillage? Evidence from the choice experiment in Moldova," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 233(C).
    10. Dia Zeglat & Fayiz Shrafat & Jassim Al-Gasawneh, 2024. "Going Beyond the Conventional Service Profit Chain Model," SAGE Open, , vol. 14(2), pages 21582440241, May.
    11. Martina Pieperhoff, 2018. "Reziprozität in interorganisationalen Austauschbeziehungen - eine Typologisierung," ZfKE – Zeitschrift für KMU und Entrepreneurship, Duncker & Humblot, Berlin, vol. 66(4), pages 273-287.
    12. Hom, Peter W. & Xiao, Zhixing, 2011. "Embedding social networks: How guanxi ties reinforce Chinese employees’ retention," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 116(2), pages 188-202.
    13. Badrinarayan Srirangam Ramaprasad & Sethumadhavan Lakshminarayanan & Yogesh P. Pai, 2021. "Exploring the Mediating Role of Employee Attitudes in the Relationship between High-Performance Work Systems and Turnover Intention among IT Professionals in India: A Serial Mediation Approach," Global Business Review, International Management Institute, vol. 22(1), pages 197-218, February.
    14. Giese, Karsten & Thiel, Alena, 2012. "When Voicelessness Meets Speechlessness – Struggling for Equity in Chinese-Ghanaian Employment Relations," GIGA Working Papers 194, GIGA German Institute of Global and Area Studies.
    15. Jia, Flora Fang & Wang, Jeff Jianfeng, 2013. "Marketing channel relationships in China: A review and integration with an institution-based perspective," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 66(12), pages 2545-2551.
    16. Dan Nie & Anna-Maija Lämsä, 2015. "The Leader–Member Exchange Theory in the Chinese Context and the Ethical Challenge of Guanxi," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 128(4), pages 851-861, June.
    17. Lau, Patricia Yin Yin & Tong, Jane L.Y. Terpstra & Lien, Bella Ya-Hui & Hsu, Yen-Chen & Chong, Chooi Ling, 2017. "Ethical work climate, employee commitment and proactive customer service performance: Test of the mediating effects of organizational politics," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 35(C), pages 20-26.
    18. Sue-Chan, Christina & Au, Al K.C. & Hackett, Rick D., 2012. "Trust as a mediator of the relationship between leader/member behavior and leader-member-exchange quality," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 47(3), pages 459-468.
    19. Dr. Khan Sarfaraz Ali & Professor Dr. Mezbah-Ul-Islam & Tamanna Nowrin Azam & Lt. Cdr. (Retd.) Wares-Ul-Matin, 2021. "Influence of Job Engagement on Transformational Leadership Style and Organizational Performance," iRASD Journal of Management, International Research Alliance for Sustainable Development (iRASD), vol. 3(1), pages 14-21, june.
    20. Nirojan JASINTHA, 2023. "What Is Known And Unknown: A Bibliometric Analysis Of Organizational Politics," Management Research and Practice, Research Centre in Public Administration and Public Services, Bucharest, Romania, vol. 15(2), pages 5-16, June.
    21. Mohamad Azrin Ahamad & Kadir Arifin & Azlan Abas & Mahfudz Mahfudz & Muhammad Basir Cyio & Muhammad Khairil & Muhammad Nur Ali & Ilyas Lampe & Muhammad Ahsan Samad, 2022. "Systematic Literature Review on Variables Impacting Organization’s Zero Accident Vision in Occupational Safety and Health Perspectives," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(13), pages 1-28, June.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:206:y:2026:i:c:s0148296325007611. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/jbusres .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.