Exchanges between a supervisor and subordinate can have a large impact to the success of an organization, especially a governmental agency. This study incorporated a small sample size and as a result, these findings should not be inferred or extrapolated as generalizations to be used as blanket statements for other organizations without future research being conducted. This study did outline the need for additional qualitative inquiry into this topic so as to continue examining the "how" and "why" exchanges between supervisors and subordinates impact the performance, motivation, and other attitudes of government employees. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of supervisor-subordinate exchange on state government employees by understanding the essence of these exchanges in state government agencies. A phenomenological approach was used for this study. A phenomenological approach aims to explain the essence of the phenomenon through the lived experiences of that phenomenon by the participants.

Jeffrey R Zimmerman, Ph.D. in Public Policy & Administration from Walden University. Is a life-long public servant, who has worked in the local, state, and federal governments. He resides in Fayetteville, NC with his daughter. Exchanges between supervisors and subordinates are critical for the successes or failures of a government entity.