Power distance and its moderating impact on empowerment and team participation

This paper studies how power distance (the level of acceptance of an uneven distribution) impacts empowerment and team participation for two types of Chinese employees: those working in Chinese R&D companies, and employees of China-based American R&D companies. These two groups have different perceptions of individual power distance; Chinese employees in American companies have a lower power distance perception than Chinese employees in Chinese companies. High power distance and high empowerment lead to high team participation. Indigenously rooted cultures and companies' home-country cultures together influence employees' values, attitudes, and behaviors through top-down socialization and organizational acculturation processes. The findings have implications for managers in American companies, in evaluating and improving team participation.