Influences of leader-member exchange on employees' service innovation behaviors

Based on literature researches, a regulated conceptual model was built to explore relationship between leader-member exchange and employees' service innovation behaviors and regulation effects between economic exchange and social exchange. Based on existing maturity scale and proper adjustment to Chinese cultural factors, 11 measurement items were refined and used for measuring influences of leader-member exchange. Economic exchange and social exchange on employees' service innovation behaviors relatively. The research was conducted among employees in service companies in regions of Quanzhou, Xiamen and Fuzhou, Fujian Province. In total, 600 questionnaires were passed out and 407 responses were received. The empirical result basically supports theoretical expectation of the research. From the perspective of social exchange, the conclusion pointed out mechanisms of how leader-member exchange influences employee innovation behaviors. Specific performance is that leader-member exchange positively influences employees' innovation behaviors and economic exchange negatively influences the relationship between leader-member exchange and employees' service innovation behaviors. Positive regulation effect of the social exchange on the relationship between leader-member exchange and employees' service innovation behaviors has not been supported by empirical statistics.