The mediating role of burnout in the relationships between Perceived Fit, leader-member exchange, psychological illness, and job performance

This time-lagged study examines the mediational role of burnout in the relationships between perceived fit, leader-member exchange (LMX), psychological illness, and the supervisor's ratings of employee job performance. We used data from 150 dyads from a global information technology firm in Taiwan. The results showed that demand- ability (DA) fit is only one predictor of job performance among other types of perceived fit. Cynicism partially mediated the relationship between need-supply (NS) fit and symptoms of mental disorder, while fully mediating the relationship between LMX and symptoms of mental disorder. The relationships between LMX and job performance were fully mediated by cynicism. These findings suggest that work-related factors are more critical than are organizational factors in the interplay with persons to determine job performance. Results suggest that cynicism has a central role in the relationships among NS fit, LMX, and outcomes (psychological illness and job performance) given that cynical, hopeless employees are susceptible to ill-being. The limitations and implications are therefore discussed.