Members compare their differential leader-member exchanges (LMXs) to understand the triadic relationship (Member A, Member B, and their common leader); this will affect how members interact. Prior research based on balance theory assumes that the two members have a consensus on the structure of the triadic relationship, to argue that when Member A perceives their LMX to be lower than that of Member B, such an LMX imbalance would drive Member A to interact negatively with Member B. Comparison of LMX, however, reflects one's subjective perception, which may not be shared by the other. Therefore, we draw on social comparison theory to examine both members’ comparisons of LMX simultaneously and suggest that when they both perceive the other's LMX as better than their own, they may engage more in affiliative behaviors and develop a higher-quality coworker exchange (CWX). The results of two studies consistently supported these hypotheses. This research extends our understanding of LMX in triadic relations and demonstrates that mismatched perceptions of LMX dyadic comparison between two members (i.e., both perceive an LMX imbalance) could motivate members to develop a positive relationship.

中文翻译：

---

比较让我们接近：领导成员交换二元比较对同事交换的影响

成员比较他们的差异领导者-成员交换 (LMX) 以了解三元关系（成员 A、成员 B 和他们的共同领导者）；这将影响成员的互动方式。先前基于平衡理论的研究假设两个成员对三元关系的结构达成共识，认为当成员 A 认为他们的 LMX 低于成员 B 时，这种 LMX 不平衡会促使成员 A 互动对成员 B 的负面评价。然而，对 LMX 的比较反映了一个人的主观看法，可能不会被另一个人所认同。因此，我们利用社会比较理论来同时检验两个成员对 LMX 的比较，并建议当他们都认为对方的 LMX 比自己更好时，他们可能会更多地参与从属行为并发展更高质量的同事交流（CWX）。两项研究的结果一致支持这些假设。这项研究扩展了我们对三元关系中 LMX 的理解，并证明了两个成员之间对 LMX 二元比较的不匹配感知（即，两者都感知到 LMX 不平衡）可以激励成员发展积极的关系。