Leader-member exchange process: The mediating roles of state gratitude and momentary trust in leader

Although large amount of studies have used social exchange theory to explain leader-member interactions and the relevant consequences in organizations, we know little about the specific process through which a leader and a member exchange resources with each other. Drawing on the affect theory of social exchange, we develop and test a leader-member exchange process model that explains the momentary psychological mechanisms underlying the exchange event taking place between leaders and members. Multilevel analyses of 600 paired observations that were collected from 73 subordinates and 24 immediate leaders with an event-contingent version of experience sampling approach showed that leader contribution in a certain exchange event engenders subordinates’ state gratitude, which leads to momentary trust in leader, and further translate into subordinates’ state work engagement. In addition, between-dyad trust in leader mitigates the within-dyad direct effect of subordinate state gratitude on momentary trust in leader and the indirect effect on state work engagement through momentary trust. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.