Investigating The Relationship Between Perceived Multidimensional Leader-Member Exchange (LMX-MDM) Quality and Outgroup Humor Use Among Nonmanagerial Voice BPO Workers in The Philippines

Abstract

This study investigates the relationship between perceived leader-member exchange quality and outgroup humor use among non-managerial voice BPO workers in the Philippines. Call center voice work in the Philippines has historically involved widespread reports of labor abuses, a lack of unionization, and pay disputes from subordinates under command of management figures. Additionally, human service work may also involve emotional labor demands reinforced by management policies such as emotional display policies. Theories such as identity theory suggest that supervisor figures in service work may be a source of positive psychological resources to subordinates. However, theories such as agency theory suggest that supervisors, as managerial figures in capitalist contexts, may simultaneously act in the interest of principal business owners at the cost of subordinate interest or well-being. This dissertation investigating aggressive humor use targeting the supervisor and management policies in service work in relation to the subordinate’s perceived quality of leader-member exchange sought to explore dimensions of leader-member relationships that may enable the use of aggressive humor at work as a potential form of latent dissent. Operationalizing LMX-MDM and aggressive humor respectively, the Multidimensional Leader-Member Exchange (LMX-MDM) Questionnaire and the Outgroup Humor dimension of the Humor Climate Questionnaire were (HCQ) were distributed to 107 respondents resulting in 100 valid responses using non-probability purposive sampling. The findings revealed that the Contribution dimension of the LMX-MDM had a significant weak positive relationship between Outgroup Humor use across all respondents. Inbound call center workers also reported using outgroup humor significantly more than blended call workers.