The development of blended friendship in high leader-member exchange relationships: Mechanisms and consequences of a relational shift

Confusion persists about the overlap between high-quality leader-member exchange (LMX) relationships and personal friendships between a leader and a subordinate. How these notions differ, shift from one to the other, and what their consequences are remain unclear. This paper proposes a framework that examines the fundamental differences between high LMX relationships and friendships. We argue that when high LMX relationships shift toward friendships, they in fact shift toward