Exchange quality in teacher leadership ties: examining relational quality using social network and leader-member exchange theories
Journal of Professional Capital and Community
ISSN: 2056-9548
Article publication date: 2 July 2021
Issue publication date: 5 October 2021
Abstract
Purpose
This study examines the relational dynamics between teachers and formal teacher leaders (TLs). We examine the association between relationship structure and leader-member exchange (LMX) quality and the extent to which LMX mediates the relationship between social network (SN) measures of dyadic relationships and TL influence.
Design/methodology/approach
Using survey data from 1,895 teacher-TL relationships, we employ path mediation analysis using hierarchical linear modeling.
Findings
Our results indicate that voluntary advice-seeking and multiplex ties are associated with stronger exchange quality between teachers and TLs. In addition, LMX partially mediates the relationship between voluntary ties and TL influence.
Originality/value
SN and LMX theories offer two complementary lenses for studying relational dynamics in organizations, though they seldom are used together, especially in education. This study bridges SN and LMX theories and measures to bolster studies of relational dynamics in organizations and highlights that in the case of formal teacher leadership, there is a need for school structures that enable teachers and TLs to seek out one another informally and develop strong social exchanges.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
Design and data collection for this work was supported by the Nellie Mae Education Foundation, Grant 024137. Analysis and writing was supported by the Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, through Grant R305B200035 to the University of Pennsylvania. The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not represent views of the Institute or the U.S. Department of Education.
Citation
Comstock, M., Supovitz, J. and Kaul, M. (2021), "Exchange quality in teacher leadership ties: examining relational quality using social network and leader-member exchange theories", Journal of Professional Capital and Community, Vol. 6 No. 4, pp. 395-409. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPCC-01-2021-0002
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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