HR & organizational behavior
Leader-member exchange (LMX) scale: how to measure
- Concept
- Leader-Member Exchange (LMX)
- Field
- HR & organizational behavior
- Scales in the library
- 1
- Items
- 7
Leader-member exchange theory holds that each leader builds relationships of differing quality with each subordinate, from purely contractual to trusting and mutually supportive. Graen and Uhl-Bien (1995) reviewed 25 years of research and proposed the LMX-7, a 7-item measure of this relationship quality, usable with both employee and leader respondents. In Vietnam, LMX often appears in studies of satisfaction, engagement, turnover intention, citizenship behavior and job performance.
Comparing the scales
| Scale | Author (year) | Items | Response format | When to use it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) LMX-7 scale | Graen & Uhl-Bien (1995) | 7 | 5-point | 7 items, each with its own 5-point label; measured as a unidimensional construct. |
Items of each scale
Original English wording from the published source. Replace placeholders such as [system] or
[brand] with what your study is about, and pilot the questionnaire with 20 to 30 respondents first.
Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) · LMX-7 scale
| Code | Item |
|---|---|
| LMX1 | Do you know where you stand with your leader. Do you usually know how satisfied your leader is with what you do? |
| LMX2 | How well does your leader understand your job problems and needs? |
| LMX3 | How well does your leader recognize your potential? |
| LMX4 | Regardless of how much formal authority he/she has built into his/her position, what are the chances that your leader would use his/her power to help you solve problems in your work? |
| LMX5 | Again, regardless of the amount of formal authority your leader has, what are the chances that he/she would “bail you out,” at his/her expense? |
| LMX6 | I have enough confidence in my leader that I would defend and justify his/her decision if he/she were not present to do so. |
| LMX7 | How would you characterize your working relationship with your leader? |
Source: Graen & Uhl-Bien (1995). Response scale, licence and APA reference: LMX-7 scale.
Tips
- Each LMX-7 item has its own response label (not 'agree'); keep the labels exactly when translating and when building the Google Form.
- If you need the dimensions of the relationship (affect, loyalty, contribution, professional respect), use the multidimensional scale of Liden and Maslyn (1998) instead of the LMX-7.
- State clearly that respondents are employees rating their relationship with their direct supervisor.
- LMX and transformational leadership are highly correlated; check HTMT if you use them together.
Once you have a scale, put the concept in the research model drawer to state your hypotheses, work out the minimum sample size, and after data collection check reliability with the Cronbach's alpha calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How does LMX differ from leadership style?
Leadership style describes how a leader behaves toward everyone; LMX describes the quality of the individual relationship between the leader and each subordinate.
How many items does the LMX-7 have and how is it scored?
7 items, each with 5 levels and its own label; take the sum or mean of the 7 items, where a higher score means a higher-quality relationship.
What role does LMX usually play in a model?
Usually an independent variable or a mediator between leadership style and outcomes such as satisfaction, engagement and turnover intention.
References
- Graen, G. B., & Uhl-Bien, M. (1995). Relationship-based approach to leadership: Development of leader-member exchange (LMX) theory of leadership over 25 years: Applying a multi-level multi-domain perspective. The Leadership Quarterly, 6(2), 219–247. https://doi.org/10.1016/1048-9843(95)90036-5
- Liden, R. C., & Maslyn, J. M. (1998). Multidimensionality of leader-member exchange: An empirical assessment through scale development. Journal of Management, 24(1), 43–72. https://doi.org/10.1177/014920639802400105