Face values on trust in loyalty and empowerment: A study of managers in China's public sector

Abstract

The practice in relation to face values reflects the large power distance and collectivism prevalent in Chinese societies. Members of such societies emphasize saving and enhancing of face of individuals who occupy higher organizational hierarchy. Despite the large number of studies on face from diverse disciplines, there is limited empirical evidence on how face values influence managerial behavior in manager-subordinate relationships in Chinaâ¿¿s civil services. The current study examines the extent to which face values of Chinese managers moderate the relationship between trust in subordinate and their willingness to share information with subordinates and encourage their initiatives in Chinaâ¿¿s civil service. The findings indicate that managersâ¿¿ values, which emphasize superior face-saving and face-enhancing, moderate the relationship between managersâ¿¿ empowerment behaviors and their trust in subordinateâ¿¿s loyalty.