Publication Type

PhD Dissertation

Version

publishedVersion

Publication Date

7-2023

Abstract

The extant leader-member exchange (LMX) literature suggests that leaders establish and develop different quality dyadic relationships with members in the same workgroup. High-quality LMX is argued as beneficial to employees. However, studies have overlooked the emotions and behaviors of low-quality LMX employees to determine how they differ from high-quality LMX employees. This study integrates LMX differentiation literature, social comparison theory and attributional theory to examine the role of LMX social comparison (LMXSC) perceptions in triggering help-seeking and knowledge hiding from star co-workers in the workplace. This study also explores the mediating role of dual envy, that is, benign and malicious envy and the moderating role of perceived deservingness of star co-workers within the proposed relationship.

Using time-lagged data from 293 employees in China, the results show that lower LMXSC is associated with malicious envy, which in turn, evokes knowledge hiding from higher LMXSC star co-workers. The indirect effect of LMXSC on knowledge hiding via malicious envy is stronger when perceived deservingness of star co-workers is lower. This study concludes with theoretical and practical implications.

Keywords

leader-member exchange social comparison (LMXSC), benign envy, malicious envy, perceived deservingness, help-seeking, knowledge hiding, star employees

Degree Awarded

SMU-SJTU Doctor of Business Administration

Discipline

Leadership Studies | Organizational Behavior and Theory

Supervisor(s)

TAN, Hwee Hoon

First Page

1

Last Page

170

Publisher

Singapore Management University

City or Country

Singapore

Copyright Owner and License

Author

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