Blaming leaders for team relationship conflict? The roles of leader-member exchange differentiation and ethical leadership
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to extend our understanding of the role of leaders in team relationship conflict. Leader-member exchange (LMX) differentiation was hypothesized to be positively related to team relationship conflict. Additionally, ethical leadership was hypothesized to moderate relations between LMX differentiation and team relationship conflict.
Design/methodology/approach
Hypotheses were examined in a sample of 79 working teams. Data were collected via a questionnaire containing measures of LMX, team relationship conflict and ethical leadership.
Findings
Hypotheses were supported by the data. LMX differentiation was positively related to team relationship conflict, and ethical leadership weakened the relationship between LMX differentiation and team relationship conflict.
Originality/value
This is the first theoretical analysis and empirical study of relationships between LMX differentiation and team relationship conflict. Theoretically, by using LMX theory to account for team-level outcomes, this study extended power of LMX theory. Practically, these results suggest that leaders may be responsible for team relationship conflict.
Keywords
Citation
Zhou, M. and Shi, S. (2014), "Blaming leaders for team relationship conflict? The roles of leader-member exchange differentiation and ethical leadership", Nankai Business Review International, Vol. 5 No. 2, pp. 134-146. https://doi.org/10.1108/NBRI-09-2013-0036
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2014, Emerald Group Publishing Limited