The Effects of Lmx and Tmx on the Social Entrepreneurship of Social Workers: Focusing on the Moderating Effects of Social Welfare Facility Types

Background

In response to increasingly complex social problems, 'social entrepreneurship' is being emphasized as a vital competency for social workers. While previous literature suggests that specific organizational cultures can foster social entrepreneurship, empirical evidence regarding how relational contexts—such as leader and peer relationships—influence this trait remains scarce. Accordingly, this study examines the impact of perceived Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) and Team-Member Exchange (TMX) on social entrepreneurship, with a specific focus on the moderating effects of different types of social welfare facilities.

Methods

An online survey was conducted with 574 social workers in South Korea. The research model defined LMX and TMX as independent variables, social entrepreneurship as the dependent variable, and facility type as the moderating variable. Control variables included gender, age, education level, tenure, job rank, employment status, and institutional location. Data analysis was performed using STATA 19, encompassing descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and hierarchical multiple regression to test the hypotheses.

Results

First, both LMX (β=.963, p<.001) and TMX (β=.730, p<.001) were found to have statistically significant positive effects on social entrepreneurship. This demonstrates that high-quality relationships within organizational human capital serve as a critical mechanism for eliciting the innovative capacities of social workers. Second, the moderating effect of facility type on the relationship between LMX and social entrepreneurship revealed that the positive impact of LMX was more dominant in 'Community Welfare Centers,' which provide integrated community services (β=-.130, p<.01). This suggests that in comprehensive organizational contexts with multi-layered service delivery systems, vertical leadership management plays a more pivotal role in fostering social entrepreneurship. Third, in contrast to the LMX findings, the moderating effect of TMX was more pronounced in 'Specialized Welfare Facilities'—which provide professional services to specific client groups—indicating a relatively higher contribution of peer relationships (β=.344, p<.01). This result reflects field characteristics where specialized clinical decision-making and close team-level interactions are prioritized.

Implications

This study empirically validates that social entrepreneurship among social workers is manifested through relational contexts within the organization and identifies that these influences vary significantly depending on the facility type. These findings provide a robust empirical foundation for developing tailored leadership training systems that reflect the practical contexts of the field and for establishing organizational management policies aimed at strengthening team-based support systems.