The Moderating Role of Leader Member Exchange in the Effect of Role Clarity on Employee Accountability

<b>Research background and purpose</b>: Emphasizing the moderating influence of Leader-Member Exchange (LMX), this study investigates the link between role clarity (RC) and employee responsibility (EA). RC is the employees’ awareness of their duties; EA is the acceptance of professional obligations—both of which are essential in improving organizational performance. <b>Design/methodology/approach:</b> The s tudy specifically searches at whether high-quality LMX increases the RC–EA link within hierarchical systems including public institutions. Public sector workers in Northern Cyprus were surveyed using a convenience sampling approach. Ethical principles guided the distribution of 500 surveys; 328 valid replies were kept for analysis. RC, EA, and LMX were measured using established and validated scales. Correlations and moderating effects were investigated using AMOS, SPSS and Hayes’ Process Macro. <b>Findings:</b> The results reveal a significant positive relationship between RC and EA (β = 0.303, p < 0.05). Additionally, LMX significantly moderates this relationship (β =0.098, p < 0.05), with the RC–EA link being stronger when LMX is high. Even under low-LMX conditions, a meaningful relationship persists. This study contributes to the understanding of how leadership dynamics influence employee behavior, highlighting the value of fostering strong leader-member relationships to improve accountability. <b>Value added and limitations:</b> These results underline the need of developing interpersonal assets and encouraging good leader-member interaction to enhance organizational performance and employee involvement. The results of the study have relevance for managerial practices, especially the requirement for explicitly stated job descriptions, open communication policies, and flexible leadership methods suited to the caliber of LMX. In the end, these ideas could help strategic initiatives meant to promote a culture of responsibility and accountability, performance appraisal systems, and organizational training courses. The dependence on selfreported data, and regional emphasis of the study, however, limit its generalizability. Future studies are invited to investigate the functions of digital communication tools in improving role clarity and LMX by using longitudinal techniques and including various organizational settings. Such additions could increase knowledge of these notions and their long-term consequences in dynamic work contexts