Purpose This research aims to look at the role of leader–member exchange (LMX) on the creation of organisational citizenship behaviour (OCB) in nurses of the Bugis tribe in the Inpatient Unit of the Labuang Baji Public General Hospital.

Design/methodology/approach This study used a cross-sectional research approach to gather the necessary data to perform an observational analysis. 98 nurses were selected through a purposive sampling technique.

Findings The research results indicate that the cultural characteristics of the Bugis people align closely with the siri’ na passe value, with the criteria of sipakatau (humanity), deceng (good), asseddingeng (unity), marenreng perru (loyalty), sipakalebbi (mutual respect) and sipakainge (reminding each other).

Originality The patron–client relationship in the Bugis leadership system is reflected in the LMX concept and capable of creating the OCB in Bugis tribe nurses.