German Leader-Member Exchange Scale (LMX MDM)

Abstract

The German Leader-Member Exchange Scale (LMX MDM) is a validated psychometric instrument designed to measure the quality of the dyadic exchange relationship between an employee and their immediate manager, based on the multidimensional model proposed by Liden and Maslyn (1998). The questionnaire is structured around four primary subscales: Affection (Zuneigung), Loyalty (Loyalität), Professional Respect (Fachlicher Respekt), and Perceived Contribution (Wahrgenommenes Engagement).

This German adaptation, developed and tested by Schyns and Paul, addresses criticisms regarding the unidimensional nature of previous LMX measures (such as the LMX 7). The psychometric properties demonstrate that the scale possesses strong internal consistency, with Cronbach’s Alpha ranging from .70 to .93 across the subscales and the total score.

Keywords

Leader-Member Exchange, LMX MDM, Leadership Style, Organizational Psychology, Affection, Loyalty, Professional Respect, Perceived Contribution, Dyadic Relationship

Authors

Dr. Birgit Schyns, Dipl. Psych. Tina Paul (German Adaptation and Validation); Robert C. Liden, Pamela Maslyn (Original Scale Developers)

Purpose

The primary purpose of the LMX MDM is the comprehensive assessment of the quality of the Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) relationship from the perspective of the employee (the member). Unlike older, unidimensional measures that provided only a global score, this multidimensional instrument allows for a detailed and nuanced description of the relationship quality across distinct facets.

The scale is intended for use in organizational and academic settings to study the dynamics of leadership and subordinate relationships. A parallel version of the instrument is also available for managers to assess the relationship from their perspective, enabling dyadic research.

Construct

The LMX MDM measures the construct of Leadership Style, specifically operationalizing the multidimensional structure of the Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) theory. LMX theory posits that leaders develop unique, individual exchange relationships with each subordinate (Graen & Cashman, 1975), which can be categorized into “in-group” (high-quality exchange characterized by trust and commitment beyond the formal contract) and “out-group” (low-quality exchange adhering strictly to contractual obligations).

The German LMX MDM measures four distinct dimensions of this exchange relationship, based on the work of Dienesch and Liden (1986), and Liden and Maslyn (1998):

• Affection (Affect): Mutual liking and interpersonal attraction between the leader and member.
• Loyalty: Mutual support and defense of one another, especially toward third parties within the organization.
• Professional Respect: Mutual recognition of each other’s professional competence, knowledge, and reputation.
• Perceived Contribution (Engagement): The perceived voluntary effort and contribution of the dyadic partner toward the relationship and organizational goals, often exceeding formal job requirements.

Validity

The validation studies provided evidence for both convergent validity and criterion validity.

In Sample 1, the LMX MDM demonstrated high correlation with established, related measures. The total LMX MDM score correlated highly (r = .81) with the unidimensional LMX 7 scale (Graen & Uhl-Bien, 1995), supporting convergent validity. Furthermore, the overall LMX MDM score correlated highly (r = .71) with the subscale measuring the promotion of employee self-esteem from the Individualized Leadership (IL) scale, suggesting conceptual overlap with individualized leadership behaviors.

In Sample 2, the scale showed significant positive correlations (criterion validity) with several relevant organizational outcomes and related constructs, including: Transformational Leadership (r = .78), quality of the leadership relationship (FBQ-MA, r = .82), quality of communication between leaders and employees (FKQ-MA, r = .68), and social support from the supervisor (SU, r = .70). It also correlated positively, though more moderately, with job satisfaction (AZ, r = .34).

Reliability

The internal consistency of the German LMX MDM was assessed using Cronbach’s Alpha across two distinct samples (N=252 and N=211). The results indicate high to acceptable reliability for the subscales, despite each consisting of only three items:

• In Sample 1 (three-factor model), Cronbach’s Alpha values were: Affection (.93), Loyalty (.87), and Professional Respect (.93).
• In Sample 2 (four-factor model with modified items), Cronbach’s Alpha values were: Affection (.90), Loyalty (.84), Professional Respect (.93), and Perceived Contribution/Engagement (.70).

The overall scale reliability for the LMX MDM total score in Sample 2 was excellent (Cronbach’s Alpha = .92). Furthermore, the profile reliability for the three-subscale version (excluding the original weak contribution items) in Sample 1 was also high at .92 (Lienert & Raatz, 1998).

Factor Analysis

Initial exploratory Factor Analysis (Maximum Likelihood, Oblimin rotation) performed on Sample 1 data, which included the two original, weaker items for perceived contribution, yielded a primary solution of three factors with eigenvalues greater than 1. This solution accounted for 53.9%, 12.6%, and 10.2% of the common variance, respectively. The items measuring perceived contribution in this initial version were weakly associated with their target dimension and were subsequently excluded from further analysis in Sample 1, resulting in a robust, interpretable three-dimensional structure (Affection, Loyalty, Professional Respect).

A second factor analysis was conducted using data from Sample 2 (N=201) after the Perceived Contribution dimension items were modified and expanded to three items, mirroring improvements made in the American original. While the eigenvalue criterion suggested only a two-factor solution, a theoretically forced four-factor solution proved to be clearly structured and aligned with theoretical expectations (Table 3). However, high intercorrelations among the four subscales (ranging from .44 to .70 in Sample 2) and the strong loading of all items onto a single general factor (Factor loadings between .30 and .87) suggest the potential existence of a single, overarching LMX construct that manifests across these four facets. Researchers are advised to interpret the scale at the subscale level for a more detailed understanding of the dyad quality.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report questionnaire (Psychological Scale)

Format: 7-point Likert rating scale.

Language Available: German (Original German adaptation of the Liden & Maslyn, 1998 instrument)

Population Group: Employees/Working Professionals

Age Group: Adults (Validation samples ranged from 17 to 61 years)

Population Details: The scale was validated on two samples of working professionals in Germany. Sample 1 (N=252) consisted of individuals from various professions and sectors. Sample 2 (N=211) consisted of employees from banks and insurance companies without leadership positions.

Test Methodology: Respondents rate their agreement with statements regarding their immediate supervisor using a 7-point scale, anchored by 1 = “stimme überhaupt nicht zu” (strongly disagree) and 7 = “stimme vollständig zu” (strongly agree). Scoring involves calculating a simple sum score for each subscale and the overall instrument, typically divided by the number of items. Higher scores indicate a higher quality of exchange between the employee and the manager.

Keywords

LMX MDM, Dyadic Exchange, Leadership Measurement, Organizational Behavior, Psychometrics, Scale Validation, Leadership Quality

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: N/A

Affiliation Email addresses: Dr. Birgit Schyns: [email protected]; Dipl. Psych. Tina Paul: [email protected]

Correspondence Address: N/A

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The status of development is categorized as validated. Information regarding permissions and fees for commercial use should be sought directly from the primary German authors (Dr. Birgit Schyns). The original American scale was published in 1998 (Liden & Maslyn). The German adaptation and validation work (Schyns & Paul) were documented around 2002.

Reference’s

• Bass, B. M., & Avolio, B. J. (1995). Transformational Leadership Development: Manual for the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire. Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press.
• Baillod, J., & Semmer, N. (1994). Die Zürcher Skala zur Erfassung der Arbeitszufriedenheit. *Diagnostica*, 40(4), 332-349.
• Dienesch, R. M., & Liden, R. C. (1986). Leader-member exchange model of leadership: A critique and further development. *Academy of Management Review*, 11(3), 618-634.
• Frese, M. (1989). *Tätigkeitsanalyse und Stress*. Göttingen: Hogrefe.
• Graen, G. B., & Cashman, J. F. (1975). A case for the multidimensionality of leadership-subordinate relations. *Organizational Behavior and Human Performance*, 13(1), 1-13.
• Graen, G. B., & Uhl-Bien, M. (1995). Relationship-based approach to leadership: Development of Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) theory of leadership over 25 years: Applying a multi-level multi-domain perspective. *The Leadership Quarterly*, 6(2), 219-247.
• Liden, R. C., & Maslyn, J. M. (1998). Multidimensionality of Leader-Member Exchange: An empirical assessment through scale development. *Journal of Management*, 24(1), 43-72.
• Paul, T., & Schyns, B. (2002). Die deutsche Version der LMX-MDM Skala. *Zeitschrift für Arbeits- und Organisationspsychologie*, 46(2), 79-88.
• Schyns, B. (2002). Validierung einer deutschen Version der LMX 7 Skala. *Zeitschrift für Arbeits- und Organisationspsychologie*, 46(1), 38-46.

Items of the German Leader-Member Exchange Scale (LMX MDM)

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.