Relations between leader-subordinate personality similarity and job attitudes

Purpose: This study aims to investigate the associations between organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs), leader-member exchange (LMX), perceived organizational justice, and similarity between subordinate and supervisor on the Big Five personality traits. Design/methodology/approach: A research questionnaire was administered to 120 blue-collar workers in a large industrial company in Israel. A structural equation model was conducted to test the proposed relations and mediating hypotheses. Findings: OCBs were found to be related to LMX and organizational justice. In addition, LMX was found to mediate the relationship between organizational justice and OCBs. Contrary to expectations, a negative correlation was found between personality similarity and LMX. Practical implications: Organizations may facilitate OCBs by improving LMX relationships and organizational justice. Supervisors should be encouraged to form high-quality LMX relationships with dissimilar subordinates. Originality/value: The study emphasizes the importance of LMX and organizational justice as motivational bases for OCBs. Among blue-collar workers, LMX seems to be based on social exchange or reciprocity rather than attraction or personality similarity.