In the shadow of the boss's boss: effects of supervisors' upward exchange relationships on employees

Dyadic relationships in an organizational hierarchy are often nested within one another. For instance, the relationship between a supervisor and an employee is nested within the relationship between that supervisor and his or her boss. In that context, the authors propose that the supervisor's relationship with his or her boss (leader-leader exchange) moderates the effects of the supervisor's relationship with the employee (leader-member exchange). Specifically, the authors argue that leader-member exchange has a stronger positive effect on employees' attitudes toward the organization and its customers when leader-leader exchange is higher. Cross-level analysis of data from 581 frontline nurses and 29 supervisors in a midwestern hospital supports this contention. Implications for research and practice are discussed.