Does Leader-Member Exchange Accentuate the Relationship Between Leader Behaviors and Organizational Citizenship Behaviors?

Although the effects of leader behaviors on organizational citizenship behaviors is well documented, research on the leader-subordinate relationship as a boundary condition of this relationship is less clear. Drawing on social exchange and personal identification theories, we demonstrate that leader-member exchange moderates the relationship between relations- and change-oriented leader behaviors and organizational citizenship behaviors. Overall, these findings suggest that how subordinates perceive and respond to leader behaviors depends on the nature of the leader-subordinate relationship. Implications for theory and practice are discussed, and areas for future research are explored.