Job security and justice: predicting employees' trust in Chinese international joint ventures

Abstract

This study examines the antecedents and consequences of employees' trust in management and trust in supervisor in Chinese international joint ventures. On the basis of social exchange theory as paradigm, a model that links trust, job security and justice is developed. The proposed model considers job security and procedural justice as antecedents of trust in management, and interactional justice as antecedent of trust in supervisor. It further suggests that trust in management affects employees' turnover intention, and trust in supervisor affects employees' organizational citizenship behaviour (OCB). A data set consisting of 255 employees in three international joint ventures in China is used to test the hypotheses. The LISREL results support the hypotheses. Trust in management is found to have a significant effect on employees' turnover intention, whereas trust in supervisor is found to have a significant effect on employees' OCB. This study shows the practical implications for managers and supervisors for improving employees' trust in Chinese international joint ventures.

Keywords:

• China
• Confucian
• job security
• justice
• organizational citizenship behaviour
• Peoples' Republic of China
• trust
• turnover intention