To what extent is LMX theory still relevant in contemporary organisations?

PART B

For Part B, you are required to write an essay on a specific leadership topic indicated below.

Background: Leader-member exchange (LMX) theory posits that in organisations, managers and leaders develop distinct relationships with their employees at the dyadic level. For example, with some subordinates, supervisors have so-called ‘high quality’ working relationships.

Essay Topic

In your essay, answer the following question: “To what extent is LMX theory still relevant in contemporary organisations?”

In writing your answer, you should be using academic references on the LMX theory and provide one or two practical examples from the real world. For instance, you can focus on identifying the ‘ingredients’ of ‘high quality’ relationships, the factors that contribute to forming and maintaining effective leader-follower working interactions, and on addressing the wider implications of the LMX theory for workplace outcomes and organisational performance.

Marking criteria used for Part B and their weighting

– Presentation: 10% of the mark for Part B is allocated to the presentation of the essay. The overall clarity, structure, writing fluency, and ‘neatness’ of the essay (cover page, table of contents, page numbers included, clearly marked headings and use of paragraphs). Please avoid typographical and spelling errors.

– Referencing: 10% of the mark for Part B is allocated to the appropriate referencing of content. You should be familiar with the APA referencing system (7th Edition, available on Moodle) and use it correctly by including references in the text. Use of a good range of academic resources (books, journal articles, publications by business practitioners, etc); the literature used should be consistent with the arguments being made. Avoid using websites as references. Use only credible, academic references.

– Critical analysis: 60% of the mark for Part B is allocated to the critical analysis presented and demonstrated in the essay. You must examine theoretical concepts and frameworks appropriately. You must demonstrate knowledge of the wider context and present an in-depth discussion of current issues related to the essay topic. Higher marks are awarded for the critical analysis skills demonstrated and for the development of sound, logical arguments communicated clearly and coherently. 

– Conclusion: 20% of the mark for Part B is allocated to the quality of conclusions drawn. The conclusions should identify the main themes or issues addressed in the essay, be well presented, flow logically from the analysis, highlight insights, and formulate practical recommendations as appropriate.

Useful Guidance Notes on Part B

When writing your essay, you should refer to the relevant literature. Credible sources include textbooks, journal articles, or other relevant business publications.

The following databases may be particularly useful in finding relevant literature sources to help you develop your essay:- ABI Inform Complete (ProQuest),- Ingenta,- Science Direct,- Sage Online.

In particular, the following academic journals should be useful to you in relation to the assigned topic:- Leadership Quarterly (Available on Science Direct),– Leadership & Organization Development Journal (Available on ABI Inform),- Team Performance Management (Available on ABI Inform),- Journal of Management Development (Available on ABI Inform),- Group & Organization Management (Available on Sage Online),- Journal of Leadership Studies (Available on the e-library website, rubric “Finding Resources”),- Journal of Managerial Psychology (Available on the e-library website, rubric “Finding Resources”), etc.

In your essay, start with an introduction section, where you explain the purpose of the essay, how it is structured and how you will proceed. In the body of the essay, refer to the relevant theory and cite relevant academic research to support your arguments. All the works cited must be referenced using the APA Referencing system. In addition, please refer to the University guidance notes on the avoidance of Plagiarism.

Be sure to properly structure your essay and use appropriate headings: include an introduction, descriptive headings for each section, and conclusion/

recommendations for practice sections. Do not label the body of your essay as “main body”; instead, use descriptive headings which signpost the content of each section.

Do not use footnotes in your essay.

Please use British English spelling in your writing: avoid “z’s” such as “organization” and use the standard British English spelling of “organisation”, “behaviour”, “centre”, etc.

Bullet points and numbered lists should not be used in your essay; instead, write in full sentences and develop your arguments using evidence from the academic literature. Please use “justify” alignment and one-and-a-half (1.5) or double spacing. Do not use single spacing. Use only the Times New Roman or Arial fonts, size 12.

Although we do not specify a particular number of references/citations to be used, you should include in your essay a minimum of 15 different academic sources such as textbooks and/or journal articles. Do not use websites as references because websites will not count among the minimum 15 academic sources requiredPlease answer the question posed. Your essay should not be a summary of various leadership theories.

In your essay, you must specifically address the topic and question posed.

The combined word count set for Part B is 2,000 words. This does not include the cover page, table of contents and reference list. There is a ±10% allowance to the allocated word count.

The following is an indicative structure for your essay:

–        Introduction: 200 words-        The content of the essay (the “body”) with descriptive headings for each section: 1,400 words-        Conclusion/Recommendations for Practice: 400 words

Appendices should not be included in your Part B submission, as this is an essay.

Where a submission exceeds the stated word count limit (allowing for the +10%), the maximum grade awarded will be P1.