Relationship of LMX and Agreeableness with Emotional Exhaustion: a Mediated Moderated Model

The aim of the study is to explore that whether Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) and agreeableness incite an employee to create façade of conformity (FOC) and how creation of FOC affects employee’s emotional exhaustion considering moderating effects of trust in management and employee’s emotional stability amongst four service sector organizations of Islamabad, Pakistan. Data Analysis of 303 supervisor-subordinate dyads using OLS regression found that LMX is negatively and significantly related to FOC while agreeableness is positively and significantly related to FOC. Effects of LMX on FOC are moderated by employee’s trust in management. Effect of FOC was lower among those having high degree of trust in management as compared to those who have lower degree of trust in management. FOC leads to emotional exhaustion. Moreover, effects of FOC on emotional exhaustion are moderated by employee’s emotional stability. Such that the effect of emotional exhaustion seems to be lower among those who have higher levels of emotional stability. No evidence was found that LMX and agreeableness directly affects emotional exhaustion without their effect on FOC. Based on these findings, we have discussed practical implications for managers along with limitations of the study and future directions.