Effects of trust in leader on organizational citizenship behavior and team performance: Empirical evidence from China

The present study extended previous research by proposing and empirically testing the relationship between trust in leader and team performance and the model of mediating processes underlying the relationship. The survey was conducted in 75 work team from several cities in China. The hierarchical regression results showed that trust in team leader involved cognition-based trust and affect-based trust, these two forms of trust were positively related to team performance. Contrasting to the cognition-based trust, affect-based trust had stronger effects on team performance. The organizational citizenship behaviour partially mediated the relationship between trust in team leader and team performance. That was, trust in leader directly influenced team performance at one hand, and had indirect effect on team performance via organizational citizenship behaviour on the other hand. At last, the theoretical and empirical implication was discussed.