Theory and Hypotheses
Interpersonal Attraction theories such as social exchange theory explain that individuals will reciprocate the treatment of others as others treat that individual. Leaders who treat employees well will increase social interest between leaders and their subordinates to have a good fit at work. This theory also explains that the reason for attraction between individuals is due to the similarity, closeness and duration of the relationship between these individuals (Lim et al., 2019; Oren et al., 2012; Subramaniam & Sambasivan, 2018). Singh et al. (2017) explained that interpersonal attraction, which attracts a person’s heart, has a major influence on social interactions and relationships between individuals. The match between the leader and the subordinates will increase the LMX of both to increase team productivity and organizational performance (Jadmiko, 2021; Zhang et al., 2014).