The Impact of Leader-Member Exchange on Job Performance: Exploring the Psychological Influence of Employee Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

Over the past few decades, the impact of Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) on job performance has been widely confirmed. However, most studies focus on the leader’s perspective or simple dyadic interactions, lacking a systematic discussion of the role of members’ internal psychological processes, particularly the key moderating role of “self-fulfilling prophecy” (SFP) in this relationship. This research gap limits our understanding of the deep-seated mechanisms through which LMX influences performance. This study aims to integrate LMX theory and self-fulfilling prophecy theory to construct a moderating effect model, exploring how employees’ positive and negative self-expectations strengthen or weaken the positive correlation between LMX and job performance. It also investigates whether the impact of the leader-member exchange relationship on performance varies due to differences in members’ personality traits. Adopting the perspective of self-fulfilling prophecy, this study introduces this theoretical concept into the field of management research. The expected research findings will bridge the gap between the two major research fields of “leader-member” interaction and “member internal psychology,” providing more nuanced insights for organizational management practices. It emphasizes that while establishing high-quality LMX, intervention measures to cultivate employees’ positive self-expectations (such as coaching leadership and growth mindset training) are essential for maximizing job performance.