IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/kap/jbuset/v199y2025i1d10.1007_s10551-024-05710-2.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Mixed Feelings About Supervisors: The Effect of LMX Ambivalence on Supervisor-Directed Behaviors

Author

Listed:
  • Lixin Chen

    (University of Science and Technology of China)

  • Qingxiong Weng

    (University of Science and Technology of China)

  • Anastasiia Popelnukha

    (University of Science and Technology of China)

  • Hui Jiang

    (University of Science and Technology of China)

Abstract

Integrating norms of reciprocity, affect theory of social exchange, and ambivalence literature, we investigated how leader-member exchange (LMX) ambivalence influences employees’ interpersonal behaviors toward supervisors. Study 1, with a time-lagged field method, revealed that LMX ambivalence was positively related to both employee-rated supervisor-directed helping and deviant behaviors and that such relationships were mediated by emotional ambivalence toward supervisors. We also confirmed the amplification effects of workplace gossip about supervisors (WGS). Specifically, while receiving more positive WGS (PWGS) or less negative WGS (NWGS) could strengthen the positive relationship between emotional ambivalence and supervisor-directed helping behaviors, receiving less PWGS or more NWGS would accentuate the positive effect of emotional ambivalence on supervisor-directed deviant behaviors. Study 2 replicated our results with a scenario-based method and offered evidence for the mediating effect of emotional ambivalence toward supervisors. Study 3 included supervisor-rated helping and deviant behavior and a subjective measure of emotional ambivalence and again confirmed the mediating role of emotional ambivalence. Our findings extend knowledge of the interpersonal consequences of LMX ambivalence.

Suggested Citation

  • Lixin Chen & Qingxiong Weng & Anastasiia Popelnukha & Hui Jiang, 2025. "Mixed Feelings About Supervisors: The Effect of LMX Ambivalence on Supervisor-Directed Behaviors," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 199(1), pages 163-182, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jbuset:v:199:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1007_s10551-024-05710-2
    DOI: 10.1007/s10551-024-05710-2
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10551-024-05710-2
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s10551-024-05710-2?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 search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Abhijeet K. Vadera & Michael G. Pratt, 2013. "Love, Hate, Ambivalence, or Indifference? A Conceptual Examination of Workplace Crimes and Organizational Identification," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 24(1), pages 172-188, February.
    2. Haesang Park & Jenny M. Hoobler & Junfeng Wu & Robert C. Liden & Jia Hu & Morgan S. Wilson, 2019. "Abusive Supervision and Employee Deviance: A Multifoci Justice Perspective," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 158(4), pages 1113-1131, September.
    3. Blake E. Ashforth & Kristie M. Rogers & Michael G. Pratt & Camille Pradies, 2014. "Ambivalence in Organizations: A Multilevel Approach," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 25(5), pages 1453-1478, October.
    4. Lixin Chen & Qingxiong Weng, 2023. "Authoritarian-Benevolent Leadership and Employee Behaviors: An Examination of the Role of LMX Ambivalence," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 186(2), pages 425-443, August.
    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. Valeria Ciampa & Moritz Sirowatka & Sebastian C. Schuh & Franco Fraccaroli & Rolf Dick, 2021. "Ambivalent Identification as a Moderator of the Link Between Organizational Identification and Counterproductive Work Behaviors," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 169(1), pages 119-134, February.
    2. Khaksar, Seyed Mohammad Sadegh & Shahmehr, Fatemeh S. & Miah, Shah & Daim, Tugrul & Ozdemir, Dilek, 2024. "Privacy concerns versus personalisation benefits in social robot acceptance by employees: A paradox theory — Contingency perspective," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 198(C).
    3. Yonghong Liu & Chen Zhao & Zhiyong Yang & Zhonghua Gao, 2025. "The Effect of Abusive Supervision on Employee Job Performance: The Moderating Role of Employment Contract Type," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 196(1), pages 209-221, January.
    4. Liu, Xin Lucy & Lu, Jackson G. & Zhang, Hongyu & Cai, Yahua, 2021. "Helping the organization but hurting yourself: How employees’ unethical pro-organizational behavior predicts work-to-life conflict," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 167(C), pages 88-100.
    5. Tariku Ayana Abdi & José M. Peiró & Yarid Ayala & Salvatore Zappalà, 2018. "Four Wellbeing Patterns and their Antecedents in Millennials at Work," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(1), pages 1-17, December.
    6. Lenka, Sambit & Parida, Vinit & Sjödin, David Rönnberg & Wincent, Joakim, 2018. "Exploring the microfoundations of servitization: How individual actions overcome organizational resistance," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 328-336.
    7. Wen Zhang & Wei Liu & Yingyee Wu & Chenlu Ma & Xiyao Xiao & Xichao Zhang, 2022. "How Fear of External Threats Plays Roles: An Examination of Supervisors’ Trait Anger, Abusive Supervision, Subordinate Burnout and CCB," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(24), pages 1-15, December.
    8. Lalaounis, Sotiris T. & Nayak, Ajit, 2022. "Dynamic stability: Unfolding dynamics of vicious cycles in a design firm," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 40(1), pages 137-150.
    9. Divya S & B. Prabu Christopher, 2024. "A decadal review of organizational identification: insights from bibliometric analysis and content analysis," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-21, December.
    10. Khuram Shahzad & Ying Hong & Alan Muller & Marco DeSisto & Farheen Rizvi, 2024. "An Investigation of the Relationship Between Ethics-Oriented HRM Systems, Moral Attentiveness, and Deviant Workplace Behavior," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 192(3), pages 591-608, July.
    11. Aurélie Leclercq-Vandelannoitte, 2017. "An Ethical Perspective on Emerging Forms of Ubiquitous IT-Based Control," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 142(1), pages 139-154, April.
    12. Seraphim Voliotis, 2017. "Establishing the Normative Standards that Determine Deviance in Organizational Corruption: Is Corruption Within Organizations Antisocial or Unethical?," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 140(1), pages 147-160, January.
    13. Tobias Hahn & Garima Sharma & Ante Glavas, 2024. "Employee‐CSR Tensions: Drivers of Employee (Dis)Engagement with Contested CSR Initiatives," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 61(4), pages 1364-1392, June.
    14. Steffen Farny & Ewald Kibler & Solange Hai & Paolo Landoni, 2019. "Volunteer Retention in Prosocial Venturing: The Role of Emotional Connectivity," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 43(6), pages 1094-1123, November.
    15. David Effelsberg & Marc Solga, 2015. "Transformational Leaders’ In-Group versus Out-Group Orientation: Testing the Link Between Leaders’ Organizational Identification, their Willingness to Engage in Unethical Pro-Organizational Behavior, ," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 126(4), pages 581-590, February.
    16. Shu, Ei (Emily), 2022. "Paradoxical framing and coping process on sustainable new product development," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 111(C).
    17. Mark Fenton‐O'Creevy & David Tuckett, 2022. "Selecting futures: The role of conviction, narratives, ambivalence, and constructive doubt," Futures & Foresight Science, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 4(3-4), September.
    18. Ahlin, Tanja & Mann, Anna, 2025. "Ambiguous animals, ambivalent carers and arbitrary care collectives: Re-theorizing resistance to social robots in healthcare," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 365(C).
    19. Mathieu Molines & Martin Storme & Matthieu Mifsud, 2023. "Promoting Ethical Voice in the Police: A Daily Examination of Ethical Vision, LMX," Post-Print hal-04971255, HAL.
    20. Gabriele Faßauer, 2018. "Linking deviation with innovation: behavioral effects of management control through the lens of a theory of deviance," Journal of Management Control: Zeitschrift für Planung und Unternehmenssteuerung, Springer, vol. 29(3), pages 275-293, December.

    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:kap:jbuset:v:199:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1007_s10551-024-05710-2. 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: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    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.