Formal versus informal supervisor socio‐emotional support behaviours and employee trust: The role of cultural power distance

Abstract This research investigates how formal versus informal supervisor support behaviours shape employees' affect‐ and cognition‐based trust across cultures of varying power distance. Using data from in‐depth interviews, Study 1 found that trust‐enhancing supervisor behaviours were more formal, status conscious and imposing in India (a high power distance culture) than in the Netherlands (a low power distance culture); unlike in India, supervisors acted more like friends or equals with their subordinates in the Netherlands. Using vignettes, Study 2 found that, compared to informal support behaviours, formal support behaviours increased both affect‐ and cognition‐based trust among Indian participants, but among US participants, formal support behaviours only increased cognition‐based trust. Study 3 conceptually replicated those findings by manipulating power distance in an organization. Together, the findings from these three studies suggest that supervisors' formal socio‐emotional support behaviours are particularly effective in increasing affect‐based trust in societal and organizational cultures that are high power distance.