Leader–member exchange and follower creativity: the moderating roles of leader and follower expectations for creativity

Abstract

We examined leader and follower expectations for creativity as moderators in the relationship between leader–member exchange (LMX) and follower creativity. The results of a survey among 193 leader–follower dyads from two high-tech companies in mainland China show that LMX positively relates to follower creativity, and that leader and follower expectations for creativity moderate this relationship. Specifically, the relationship between LMX and follower creativity is positive and significant when either leaders or followers, or both leaders and followers, set high rather than low expectations for creativity, with the highest level of follower creativity observed when leaders and followers congruently hold high creativity expectations. In contrast, the LMX–follower creativity relationship is blurred when leaders and followers congruently hold low expectations for creativity. We discuss the relevance of these results from theoretical and professional perspectives.

Keywords:

• Follower creativity
• follower self-expectations for creativity
• leader creativity expectations
• leader–member exchange

Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China [grant number 71102162], [grant number 71101148]; the National Social Science Foundation of China [grant number 13&ZD155].

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.