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You don’t actually want to get closer to the star: How LMX leads to workplace ostracism

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  • Zi Wang

    (Nankai University)

  • Guiquan Li

    (Nankai University)

Abstract

High-quality leader-member exchange (LMX) is commonly seen as beneficial to employees. However, this is not always the case in the eyes of other members of the same team. Based on social comparison theory, we propose that members who have high-quality LMX relationships with team leaders might face workplace ostracism through being envied by other members of the same team. Further, we hypothesize that this indirect influence is mitigated by the high-quality LMX member’s agreeableness. Based on data from 196 employees, we found that though ostensibly LMX quality directly led to less workplace ostracism, it had a positive effect on workplace ostracism through being envied by other team members, and agreeableness buffered this indirect positive effect. Theoretical and managerial implications are discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Zi Wang & Guiquan Li, 2018. "You don’t actually want to get closer to the star: How LMX leads to workplace ostracism," Frontiers of Business Research in China, Springer, vol. 12(1), pages 1-13, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:fobric:v:12:y:2018:i:1:d:10.1186_s11782-017-0023-5
    DOI: 10.1186/s11782-017-0023-5
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Ying Xue & Xiyuan Li & Hongmei Wang & Qiu Zhang, 2020. "How Employee’s Leadership Potential Leads to Leadership Ostracism Behavior: The Mediating Role of Envy, and the Moderating Role of Political Skills," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(9), pages 1-15, April.
    2. Breidenthal, Amy P. & Liu, Dong & Bai, Yuntao & Mao, Yina, 2020. "The dark side of creativity: Coworker envy and ostracism as a response to employee creativity," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 161(C), pages 242-254.
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    4. Gao, Zhonghua & Zhao, Chen & Liu, Yonghong, 2023. "Fostering a salesperson’s team identification: An investigation into the effects of leader-follower emotional intelligence congruence from a person–environment fit perspective," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).

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