Tour Leader–Member Exchange (TLMX): Scale Development and Validation

Abstract

Exchanges between tour leaders and tour members can affect the smooth operation of a group tour, yet measures of this relationship have not been addressed by previous studies. The main purpose of this study is to develop a reliable and valid scale of the TLMX relationship from the perspectives of both tour leaders and tour members. The initial items of the scale were obtained from in-depth interviews based on the critical incident technique and with rigorous content analysis. First, an Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was performed by investigating 221 tour leaders, and six factors were identified: harmony, trust, concerted effort, respect, information sharing, and tolerance. Second, the validity of the derived TLMX scale was then tested by confirmatory factor analysis on a sample of 432 tour members. The scale serves as a useful tool for tour members to measure the extent of TLMX and provide management implications for travel agencies.