Evolutionary tendencies of simple social exchange across the stages of ego development : implications for leadership

Balas Rant, Melita (author)

This paper addresses the research question of how the stages of ego development impact the interpretation schemes of the simple social exchange (act of giving). Using a sample of N = 290 respondents, we present the research findings on the evolution of the interpretation schemes of the act of giving across the levels of ego development. Research findings reveal the tendency of the stage of ego development to impact the properties and effects of the simple social exchange (act of giving). We theorize implications for leadership. We propose that the higher order of ego development induces a higher quality leader-member exchange (LMX) and greater likelihood of resolution of adaptive leadership challenges. Furthermore, followers are more likely to entrust power to a leader in exchange for high‐quality relationships. The paper is a tentative attempt of merger of the LMX theory with the constructive school of adult development. This merger illuminates an interesting relation, namely that the stage of ego development might be a likely determinant of the quality of the LMX and leadership effectiveness. 

• Language: English
• Keywords: enterprises, management, leadership, ego development, LMX theory, generativity, act of giving, social exchange
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: EF - School of Economics and Business
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2022
• Number of pages: Str. 55-70
• Numbering: Vol. 11, iss. 2
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-146681
• UDC: 005
• ISSN on article: 2232-5867
• DOI: 10.17708/DRMJ.2022.v11n02a04
• COBISS.SI-ID: 132877315
• Publication date in RUL: 06.06.2023

BALAS RANT, Melita, 2022, Evolutionary tendencies of simple social exchange across the stages of ego development : implications for leadership. Dynamic relationships management journal [online]. 2022. Vol. 11, no. 2, p. 55–70. [Accessed 26 April 2025]. DOI 10.17708/DRMJ.2022.v11n02a04. Retrieved from: https://repozitorij.uni-lj.si/IzpisGradiva.php?lang=eng&id=146681

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Dynamic relationships management journal
• Publisher: Slovenian academy of management
• ISSN: 2232-5867
• COBISS.SI-ID: 262077952

Licences

• License: CC BY-NC 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
• Description: A creative commons license that bans commercial use, but the users don’t have to license their derivative works on the same terms.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian

Abstract

Članek obravnava raziskovalno vprašanje, kako stopnje osebnega razvoja posameznika vplivajo na osmišljanje preproste družbene izmenjave (preučujemo dejanje prostovoljnega dajanja daril, pohval ipd.). Na vzorcu 290 anketirancev predstavljamo izsledke raziskave o evoluciji osmišljanja prostovoljnega dajanja po stopnjah osebnega razvoja. Izsledki raziskave razkrivajo, da višje stopnje osebnega razvoja osmišljajo dejanje prostovoljnega dejanja manj materialno, bolj pozitivno, pri tem doživljajo bolj kompleksna čustva, izhajajo iz več zornih kotov in so bolj osredotočene na kvaliteto odnosa z prejemnikom darila. Identificirane tendence posplošimo na učinke za vodenje, pri čemer izhajamo iz teorije izmenjave vodja‐član (angl. leader–member exchange; LMX). Zaključimo, da višja stopnja osebnega razvoja vodi do bolj kakovostne izmenjave vodja‐član in povečuje verjetnost rešitve prilagoditvenih problemov pri vodenju. Poleg tega je verjetneje, da bodo člani bolj zaupali vodji v zameno za visokokakovostne odnose med njimi. Članek poskuša združiti teorijo LMX s konstruktivno šolo razvoja odraslih. Ta združitev osvetljuje zanimivo razmerje, in sicer, da je stopnja osebnega razvoja verjeten dejavnik kakovosti izmenjave vodja‐član in povečuje uspešnost vodenja.

• Keywords: podjetje, management, vodenje