Fundamentals of Management, 8th ed

The LMX Approach

Because leadership is such an important area, managers and researchers continue to

study it. As a result, new ideas, theories, and perspectives are continuously being devel-

oped. The

LMX model

of leadership, conceived by George Graen and Fred Dansereau,

stresses the importance of variable relationships between supervisors and each of their

subordinates.

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Each superior–subordinate pair is referred to as a vertical dyad. The

model differs from earlier approaches in that it focuses on the differential relationship

that leaders often establish with different subordinates. Figure 11.6 shows the basic

concepts of the LMX theory.

Leader

Subordinate

1

Subordinate

2

Subordinate

3

Subordinate

4

Subordinate

5