Participatory management and employee work outcomes: The moderating role of supervisor-subordinate guanxi

Abstract

This study investigates the moderating role of supervisor–subordinate guanxi in the relationship between effective participatory management and employee work outcomes including organizational commitment, organizational citizenship behavior (OCB), and job promotions. Based on data collected from three firms in China, we find that the positive relationships between effective participatory management and organizational commitment and OCB are stronger with high rather than with low quality supervisor–subordinate guanxi. However, supervisor–subordinate guanxi does not moderate the relationship between participatory management and job promotions. The theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.