Leader’s secure attachment, leader–member exchange, and subordinates’ creativity: The role of coworker exchange

We examined the relationship between a leader’s secure attachment, leader–member exchange (LMX) relationships, and subordinates’ creativity, incorporating coworker exchange as a moderator of the relationship between LMX and subordinates’ creativity. Participants were 156 leader–follower dyads who completed a survey. The results showed a significant positive association between leaders’ secure attachment and their subordinates’ creativity, with LMX mediating this path. Coworker exchange moderated the relationship between LMX and subordinate creativity, suggesting that for subordinates with low coworker exchange, high LMX may be necessary for creativity, whereas LMX level had less impact for those with high coworker exchange. Finally, leaders’ secure attachment had a moderated mediation effect on subordinate creativity through LMX, and this effect varied depending on the degree of coworker exchange. Our findings clarify the complex nature of team dynamics leading to creative outcomes, emphasizing the source of high-quality work relationships and interplay between LMX and coworker exchange.