Brokers Compensate for Leader–Member Exchange Differentiation : Behavioral Observations in Innovation Meetings

Abstract

Abstract. Due to the relevance of innovations for organizational success, we investigated the impact of (relative) leader–member exchange (LMX) on individual- and team-level perceptions of the climate for innovation (PCI) as well as whether the presence of an individual with a high LMX relationship who plays a mediating role for individuals with lower LMX relationships during team meetings (i.e., a broker) moderates the effects of LMX differentiation. We conducted multilevel analyses of self-assessment and video data from 286 employees in 45 innovation teams. The results confirm the positive effect of (relative) LMX (RLMX) on PCI. The negative effect of LMX differentiation on PCI is not present in teams with a broker. Finally, individuals with high RLMX play a more central role in meetings than those with low RLMX.