关键词: 领导-部属交换, 职业成功, 心理授权, 政治技能

Abstract: Prior researches have presented the positive relation between leader-member exchange (LMX) and the subordinate’s career success. However, we have little knowledge about the mechanisms of the relation. Based on the social exchange theory, this study examines a moderated mediation model which integrates the mediating effect of psychological empowerment and the moderating effect of political skill between LMX and the subordinate’s career success.
To reduce common method bias, two wave surveys were conducted to collect data. LMX, psychological empowerment and political skill were evaluated at the first wave, and the score of subordinate’s career success was conducted 1-4 weeks later after the first wave. Finally, 206 participants completed two wave data collection. The results of statistical tests suggested that the structured measurement had good reliability and validity.
The results of the moderated mediation model have showed that the psychological empowerment and political skill have integrated effects on the relation between LMX and the subordinate’s career success: (1) The 4 kinds of political skill strengthened the direct effect and total effect of LMX on the subordinate’s career success. (2) The psychological empowerment mediated the relation between LMX and the subordinate’s career success. (3)The interpersonal influence strengthened the relation between LMX and the subordinate’s psychological empowerment while the apparent sincerity strengthened the relation between the subordinate’s psychological empowerment and career success.
The results indicate that: (1) high LMX quality was not always benefit for subordinate’s career success and its effect on career success was moderated by the subordinate’s political skill; and (2) even through there was the mediation role of psychology empowerment, whether it played the full mediation or partial mediation role depended on the level of 4 kinds of political skill. The findings are valuable for people to understand what the influence of the LMX on the subordinate’s career success was and how the influence happened in the different context. In application, it suggested the high exchange quality with leaders and good personal political skill could facilitate employees to achieve their career success.

Key words: leader-member exchange, career success, psychological empowerment, political skill