In this article we aim to generate theory about how individuals perceive their relationships with team members, and their emotional experiences within the team member exchange (TMX) process. Findings from qualitative and quantitative analyses are presented, with data collected from 25 full-time employees working within five teams in two organizations. The qualitative results reveal a variety of exchanges that occur within the team member relationships, including relationship-oriented exchanges and task-oriented exchanges. Team members highlighted the importance of friendship within the team context, and that they experienced positive and negative emotions in response to their TMX relationships. The quantitative results also indicated that positive emotions, rather than negative emotions, were associated with high-quality TMX relationships.
Ashkanasy, N.M., Härtel, C.E.J., & Daus, C.S. (2002). Advances in organizational behavior: Diversity and emotions. Journal of Management, 28, 307-338.
2.
Barrick, A.L., Hutchinson, R.L., & Deckers, L.H. (1989). Age effects on positive and negative emotions . Journal of Social Behavior and Personality, 4, 421-429.
3.
Barsade, S.G. (2002). The ripple effect: Emotional contagion and its influence on group behavior. Administrative Science Quarterly , 47, 644-675.
4.
Berman, E.M., West, J.P., & Richter, M.N. (2002). Workplace relations: Friendship patterns and consequences (according to managers). Public Administration Review, 62, 217-230.
5.
Choi, J., Price, R.H., & Vinokur, A.D. (2003). Self-efficacy changes in groups: Effects of diversity, leadership, and group climate. Journal of Organizational Behavior , 24, 357-372.
6.
Cohen, J., & Cohen, P. (1983). Applied multiple regression/correlation analysis for the behavioral sciences (2nd ed.). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
7.
Cole, M.S., Schaninger, W.S., & Harris, S.G. (2002). The workplace social exchange network. Group and Organization Management, 27, 142-167.
8.
Currall, S.C., & Towler, A.J. (2002). Research methods in management and organizational research: Toward integration of qualitative and quantitative techniques. Handbook of mixed methods in social and behavioral research (pp. 513-526).Thousand Oaks,CA: Sage Publications.
9.
Currall, S.C., Hammer, T.H., Baggett, L.S., & Doniger, G.M. (1999). Combining qualitative and quantitative methodologies to study group processes: An illustration study of a corporate board directors . Organizational Research Methods, 2, 5-36.
10.
Dasborough, M.T. (2006). Cognitive asymmetry in employee emotional reactions to leadership behaviors. Leadership Quarterly, 17, 163-178.
11.
Ferrin, D.L., Bligh, M.C., & Kohles, J.C. (2007). Can I trust you to trust me? A theory of trust, monitoring, and cooperation in interpersonal and intergroup relationships . Group & Organization Management, 32, 465-499.
12.
Flick, U. (2002). An introduction to qualitative research (2nd ed.). London: Sage.
13.
Forsyth, D.R. (1998). Methodological advances in the study of group dynamics. Group Dynamics: Theory, Research, and Practice. 2, 211-212.
14.
George, J.M. (2002). Affect regulation in groups and teams. In R. G. Lord, R. J. Klimoski, & R. Kanfer (Eds.), Emotions in the workplace: Understanding the structure and role of emotions in organization behavior (pp. 183-217). San Francisco : Jossey-Bass.
15.
George, J.M., & Brief, A.P. (1992). Feeling good-doing good: A conceptual analysis of the mood at work-organization spontaneity relationship. Psychological Bulletin, 112, 310-329.
16.
Gross, J.L., Gastensen, L.L., Tsai, J., Skorpen, G.G., & Hsu, Y.C. (1997). Emotion and aging: Experience, expression and control. Psychology and Aging, 12, 590-599.
17.
Harter, J.K., Schmidt, F.L., & Keyes, C.L.M. (2003). Well-being the workplace and its relationships to business outcomes: A review of the Gallup studies. In C. L. M. Keyes & H. Jonathan (Eds.), Flourishing: The positive person and the good life (pp. 205-224). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
18.
Jobson, J.D. (1991). Applied multivariate data analysis. Volume 1: Regression and experimental design. New York: Springer-Verlag.
19.
Jordon, M.K., Field, H.S., & Armenakis, A.A. (2002). The relationship of group process variables and team performance. Small Group Research , 33, 121-150.
20.
Kemper, T.D. (1984). Power, status and emotions: A sociological contribution to a psychophysiological domain. In K. R. Scherer & P. Ekman (Eds.), Approaches to emotion (pp. 369-384). Hillsdale, NJ : Lawrence Erlbaum.
21.
Klein, K.J., Lim, B.C., Saltz, J.L., & Mayer, D.M. (2004). How do they get there? An examination of the antecedents of centrality in team networks. Academy of Management Journal , 47, 952-963.
22.
Lawler, E.J. (2001). An affect theory of social exchange. American Journal of Sociology, 107, 321-352.
23.
Lazarus, R.S. (1991). Progress on a cognitive-motivational-relational theory of emotion. American Psychologist, 46, 819-834.
24.
Lazarus, R.S. (2006). Emotions and interpersonal relationships: Toward a person-centered conceptualization of emotions and coping. Journal of Personality, 74, 9-46.
25.
Liden, R.C., Wayne, S.J., & Sparrowe, R.T. (2000). An examination of the mediating role of psychological empowerment on the relationship between job, interpersonal relationships and work outcomes. Journal of Applied Psychology , 85, 407-416.
26.
Lucas, J.W., & Lovaglia, M.J. (1998). Leadership status, gender, group size, and emotion in face-to-face groups. Sociological Perspectives, 41, 617-637.
27.
Manson, P. (1993). What is a group? A multilevel analysis. In E. J. Lawler, B. Markovsky, K. Heimer, & J. O'Brien (Eds.), Advances in group processes (Vol. 10, pp. 253-281). Greenwich, CT: JAI.
28.
Maslyn, J.M., & Uhl-Bien, M. (2001). Leader-member exchange and its dimensions: Effects of self-effort and other's effort on relationship quality. Journal of Applied Psychology, 86, 697-708.
29.
Miles, M.B., & Huberman, A.M. (1994). Qualitative data analysis: An expanded sourcebook (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
30.
Murphy, S.M., Wayne, S.J., Liden, R.C., & Erodgan, B. (2002). Understanding social loafing: The role of justice perceptions and exchange relationships. Human Relations, 56, 61-84.
31.
Randel, A.E., & Jaussi, K.S. (2003). Functional background identity, diversity and individual performance in cross-functional teams. Academy of Management Journal, 46, 763-774.
32.
Randel, A.E., & Ranft, A.L. (2007). Motivations to maintain social ties with coworkers: the moderating role of turnover intentions on information exchange. Group & Organization Management, 32, 208-232.
33.
Rubin, H.J. (2005). Qualitative interviewing: The art of hearing data . Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
34.
Sandberg, J. (2000). Understanding human competence at work: An interpretative approach. Academy of Management Journal, 43, 9-25.
35.
Seers, A. (1989). Team-member exchange quality: A new construct for role-making research. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 43, 118-135.
36.
Seers, A., Petty, M.M., & Cashman, J.F. (1995). Team-member exchange under team and traditional management. Group & Organization Management, 20, 18-38.
37.
Sherony, K.M., & Green, S.G. (2002). Co-worker exchange: Relationships between co-workers, leader-member exchange, and work attitudes. Journal of Applied Psychology, 87, 542-548.
38.
Slaughter, J.E., & Zickar, M.J. (2006). A new look at the role of insiders in the newcomer socialization process, Group &Organization Management , 31, 264-290.
39.
Smith, A.E. (2004). Leximancer manual, V.2.0. Queensland: University of Queensland, Australia, School of Psychology, Centre for Human Factors and Applied Cognitive Psychology.
40.
Staw, B.M., Sutton, R.I., & Pelled, L.H. (1994). Employee positive emotion and favorable outcomes at the workplace. Organization Science, 5, 51-71.
41.
Stinglhamber, F., De Cremer, D., & Mercken, L. (2006). Perceived support as a mediator of the relationship between justice and trust. Group & Organization Management , 31, 442-468,
42.
Tse, H.M., Dasborough, M.T., & Ashkanasy, N.M. (2005). The role of affect and fairness in team member exchange. In N. M. Ashkanasy, C. E. J. Härtel, & W. J. Zerbe (Eds.), Research on emotion in organizations: The effect of affect in organizational settings (Vol. 1, pp. 226-267). Oxford, UK: Elsevier.
43.
Van Der Vegt, G.S., Van De Vliert, E., & Oosterhof, A. (2003). Informational dissimilarity and organizational citizenship behavior: The role of intra-team interdependence and team identification . Academy of Management Journal, 46, 715-727.
44.
Watson, D., Clark, L.A., & Tellegen, A. (1988). Development and validation of brief measures of positive and negative affect: The PANAS Scale. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 54, 1063-1070.
45.
Wech, B.A. (2003, November). Effect of TMX on individual-level performance, OCBindividual, and job satisfaction beyond the influence of LMX. Paper presented at the annual meetings of the Southern Management Association, Clearwater Beach, FL.
46.
Weiss, H.M., & Cropanzano, R. (1996). Affective events theory: A theoretical discussion of the structure, causes and consequences of affective experiences at work. Research in Organizational Behavior, 19, 1-74.
47.
Williams, H.M., Parker, S.K., & Turner, N. (2007). Perceived dissimilarity and perspective taking within work teams. Group & Organization Management, 32, 569-597.
48.
Winstead, B.A., Derlega, V.J., Montgomery, M.J., & Pilkington, C. (1995). The quality of friendships at work and job satisfaction. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 12, 199-215.
49.
Wright, P.H. (1984). Self-referent motivation and intrinsic quality of friendships. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships , 1, 115-130.
