Career Development International

Purpose – This study examines the mediator of Leader-member Exchange (LMX) between trust in peers and one's perception of career satisfaction.

Design/methodology/approach – This is an empirical paper based on a field study conducted among 241 employees at a Fortune 500 company in the United States. The results support the mediating role of LMX between trust in peers and career satisfaction.

Findings – This empirical study establishes that in addition to cultivating employees' trust in management, the enhancement of employees' trust in their peers can help them to become more satisfied with their career advancement. However, this positive association between trust in peers and career satisfaction has to be supported by a good quality relationship between the employee and his/her supervisor. To illustrate, if employees place high trust in their peers, then they are more likely to form a high quality relationship with their supervisors, and ultimately more likely to enjoy career success.

Research limitations/implications – This finding addresses concerns about the mechanisms by which employee attitudes contribute to one's perception of career satisfaction.

Practical implications – It is of great importance to foster employees' trust in their peers against the background of conditions exacerbated by today's unfavorable economy. This study reinforces the crucial role of leadership which not only plays an important role of improving employees' perception of career success, but also affects the relationship between trust in peers and career satisfaction.

Originality/value – To the best of my knowledge, this is the first field study that has examined the mediating role of LMX between trust in peers and career satisfaction.