The Association of Exchange Ideology the Relationship between Transformational Leadership and Employees’ Behaviors

This research investigates the effect of ExIon the dynamic of leader-employee relationships in the context of Vietnam. Specifically, it focuses on the moderating effect of ExIon the connection between transformational leadership (TrLP) and employees’ organizational commitment (Orcom), KwSh, and creative behaviors. Using a stratified convenient sampling technique, the research surveyed more than 300 individuals who are employees in organizations in the north, the center, and the southern localities of Vietnam. Partial Least Square – Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) is used to analyze the results. The findings indicate that TrLP is associated significantly with KwSh (KwSh) and Orcoms (OrCom). While OrCom helps to boost organizational creative behaviors, a higher level of TrLP and KwSh do not. Noticeably, the relationship between TrLP, KwSh, and OrCom was influenced by exchange ideology (ExI), which refers to employees’ beliefs about reciprocity. In other words, employees with heightened levels of reciprocity are expected to be less influenced by the affective aspects of leadership styles, suggesting that for a certain group of employees, material rewards could be more significant.