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The mediating effect of leader–member exchange on the relationship between Theory X and Y management styles and affective commitment: A multilevel analysis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 February 2015

Faruk Şahin
Faruk Şahin*
Affiliation:
The Ministry of National Defense, Muğla, Turkey
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Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the relationship between McGregor's Theory X and Y management styles and affective commitment through the mediating mechanism of the leader–member exchange (LMX). Adopting a multilevel perspective to explain the complex relations among variables, data were collected from 56 supervisors and 173 subordinates from yacht building companies in Turkey. The results indicated that the Theory Y management style related positively to affective commitment and LMX. In addition, the results indicated that LMX partially mediated the relationship between the Theory Y management style and affective commitment. However, the Theory X management style had no relationships with either LMX or affective commitment. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.

Keywords

Theory X and Y management stylesaffective commitmentleader–member exchange
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Management & Organization , Volume 18 , Issue 2 , March 2012 , pp. 159 - 174
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press and Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management 2012

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