Exchange Quality in Teacher Leadership Ties: Examining Relationships Using Social Network and Leader-Member Exchange Theories

• In Event: Organizational Theory Practice and Promise

Abstract

Social network (SN) and leader-member exchange (LMX) theories offer two complementary lenses for studying relational dynamics and leadership in organizations, though they seldom are used together, especially in education. Using survey data from 1,895 teacher-teacher leader relationships, this study examines the association between relationship structure, LMX quality, and leader influence, and how features of organizational context are associated with LMX and leader influence. Results indicate that voluntary advice-seeking behavior is associated with stronger LMX; LMX partially mediates the relationship between SN measures of relationships and leader influence; and organizational climate and member out-degree centrality are positively related to leader influence. Findings suggest that bridging LMX and SN measures bolsters the study of leadership beyond what either lens can accomplish alone.

Authors

• Meghan Comstock, University of Pennsylvania

• Jonathan A. Supovitz, University of Pennsylvania

• Maya Kaul, University of Pennsylvania