'Leader-Member Exchange Ambivalence and the Experience of Work: What Do We Know and Where Do We Go From Here?' Leadership, Organisations, Behaviour and Reputation Research Seminar

A registered occupational psychologist, Professor Lyubovnikova completed her PhD in 2011 and has held both a research fellowship and lectureship at Aston Business School. She joined the University of Liverpool Management School as a senior lecturer in 2018 and went onto lead the MSc programmes in Organisational Psychology.

Professor Lyubovnikova's research specialises in the psychology of people at work, with a particular focus on team dynamics, moral-based leadership and the ways in which these shape organisational outcomes such as innovation, creativity and employee wellbeing. She also has broader interests in healthcare and human resource management, including the role of team coaching interventions in enhancing collaboration and performance. Her work is widely published in leading scientific journals, and she currently serves as Associate Editor of the Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology.

The topic of this presentation is 'Leader-Member Exchange Ambivalence and the Experience of Work: What Do We Know and Where Do We Go From Here?' This seminar will explore the construct of leader-member exchange (LMX) ambivalence, defined as employees' simultaneous positive and negative feelings toward their relationship with their boss.

Professor Lyubovnikova's viewpoint is that leader–follower relationships are more complex than simply 'good' or 'bad' and that LMX ambivalence can generate both harmful and beneficial outcomes. Drawing on two recent papers, the seminar will examine evidence that employees with anxious attachment styles are more likely to experience LMX ambivalence, particularly when working with emotionally unstable leaders, which may reduce job performance.

Further consideration is also offer to how LMX ambivalence can trigger two forms of rumination: affective rumination, which contributes to emotional exhaustion, and problem-solving pondering, which may promote constructive voice behaviour. Professor Lyubovnikova's research highlights that ambivalent leader–employee relationships are not uniformly detrimental and may, under certain conditions, foster adaptive workplace behaviours.

After the seminar has concluded, Professor Lyubovnikova will lead an expert session workshop, titled 'Navigating the Publication Process: Reflections and Advice'.

The seminar is for an internal audience and will be held on 21 May 2026, 1:00pm, in room G04 of the Henley Business School building, Whiteknights campus. For those unable to attend in person there is also the option to dial in remotely via Microsoft Teams. If you are interested in joining, please contact Alex Baker on a.j.baker@henley.ac.uk

Members of LOBR faculty may also request to book a one to one meeting with Professor Lyubovnikova. Each appointment will last 30 minutes, between 10:00am to 12:00pm. Slots are limited and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. To arrange an appointment, please contact Alex Baker on a.j.baker@henley.ac.uk

LOBR research seminars are co-ordinated by Professor Bernd Vogel and Dr Anastasiya Saraeva.