Constructive Deviance, Leader-Member Exchange, and Confidence in Appraisal : How Do They Interelate, If at All?

This study examined connections between elements of Leader-Member-Exchange (LMX) relationships, trust and confidence in performance appraisal processes, and constructive deviant behavior. We offer an introductory discussion regarding the nature of LMX, attitudes towards performance appraisal, and constructive deviance in organizations, and present reasons for conceptual relationships between these constructs. We then review the analyses and results of data collected from 120 members of a large public service organization. These results support positive connections between the constructs of LMX, confidence in appraisal processes, and constructive deviant behaviors. However, when predicting constructive deviance we found no difference in using confidence in appraisal processes as a single predictor compared to using both confidence in appraisal and LMX. The implications of these results are discussed, and we offer several suggestions for developing research programs dealing with the intersection of LMX, confidence in appraisal processes, and constructive deviant behavior in organizations