Coworkers’ Leader-member Exchanges, Social Comparison Orientation, and Interpersonal Emotions and Perceptions

Abstract

This study examines how the quality of coworkers' leader-member exchange (LMX) and social comparison orientation (SCO) influence their emotional reactions and perceptions of help received from each other within dyads in workgroups. Results of social relations analyses involving 409 dyadic relationships among 128 employees working in 31 workgroups revealed that when SCO was high, coworkers' similar perceptions of LMX led them to experience the interpersonal emotions of more sympathy and less contempt toward each other, while dissimilar perceptions led to less sympathy and more contempt. Both the emotions of sympathy and contempt experienced by coworkers were found to fully mediate a three-way interaction of coworkers' LMX and their SCO on the perceived receipt of help from each other in dyads.