Question

trish, a new hire, has been observing how her manager, lita, interacts with employees. it is standard culture that all employees eat at the food court during lunchtime but are free to sit at any table. at lunch, trish overheard a small group of employees talking about the mediocre tasks given to the group of employees sitting at a table with lita. trish assumed that lita must have a close relationship with those employees who sat with her at lunch based on the ways they interacted. which leadership theory is this in - group versus out - group relationship an example of? great man theory, path - goal theory, leader - member exchange theory, trait theory

Explanation:

The leader - member exchange theory focuses on the quality of relationships between leaders and followers, differentiating in - group and out - group relationships. Trish's assumption about Lita's relationship with certain employees based on lunch interactions aligns with this theory's focus on relationship quality within a work context.

Answer:

Leader - member exchange theory