The Influence of Leader-member Exchange on Career Mobility in Kenya Breweries Limited

Abstract

This study was aimed at determining the role of trust, ingratiation and competence in the relationship between leader-member exchange and career mobility in Kenya breweries limited. The literature review revealed that many studies had been conducted on the influence of leader member exchange on career mobility. However, these studies did not explain fully the influence of leader member exchange on career mobility which created a gap that the study sought to address. The main objective of the study was to determine the role of trust, ingratiation and competence on the relationship between leader member exchange and career mobility. The study further endeavors to investigate the mediating role of trust and moderating role of competence and ingratiation on the relationship between leader member exchange and career mobility. Hypotheses were formulated on the same. A population of 169 dyads at Kenya breweries limited was used for the study. A structured questionnaire with likert type statements was used for data collected. The study used both descriptive and inferential statistics for data analysis. The findings of the study indicated a strong positive relationship between leader member exchange and career mobility. Also, the study revealed that leader member exchange had a positive and significant influence on career mobility and its subsequent hypothesis was confirmed. Further, the study confirmed that the in-group members experience more career mobility than the out-group members. The study also found that trust partially mediates the relationship between leader member exchange and career mobility. The study revealed that competence and ingratiation moderate the relationship between leader member exchange and career mobility. The study confirmed that the combined effect of the variables have more influence on career mobility than their individual effect. The results of this study have contributed to theory. It has brought about a better understanding of the predictors of career mobility. The results of the study provide reference material for future studies in related fields. It is recommended that organizations should augment dyadic relationships, enhance open communication, encourage objective promotion opportunities to their members and ensure that their employees understand that to experience career mobility, employees need to have a cocktail of characteristics at the workplace so that employees not only rely on one trait for their career mobility. The study had some limitations including the fact that it used a cross sectional survey method of data collection instead of a longitudinal study which would enable causativeness to be proven and changes over time be documented. It also enables the mutuality in leader member exchange and career mobility patterns to be fully discovered. Also, the current study covered only the white-collar employees‘ i.e. managers only, and therefore excluded the blue collar employees. A comparison was therefore not made to see if the findings would differ with respect to the two categories of employees.