Gratitude Expression to Supervisors and Subjective Career Success of Civil Servants: Evidence from China

Abstract

Subjective career success of civil servants is a major focus of both scholars and public managers, but few studies have explored its antecedents from the perspective of the expression of a special positive emotion. To narrow the gap regarding the antecedents of civil servants’ subjective career success, we use the broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions to examine whether, how, and when civil servants’ gratitude expression to their supervisors is related to their subjective career success, as well as the mediating role of supervisors’ mentoring and the moderating role of traditionality. By using the survey data of 216 supervisor-subordinate dyads from the Chinese public sector, we found that gratitude expression by subordinates is positively related to their subjective career success, and this relationship is mediated by their supervisors’ mentoring. The relationship between gratitude expression to supervisors and supervisors’ mentoring is positively moderated by supervisor traditionality. Moreover, supervisor traditionality plays a positive moderating role in the association between gratitude expression to supervisors and subjective career success via supervisors’ mentoring. The above relationships are stronger when supervisors have a high level of traditionality. These findings contribute to the literature and generate managerial implications for civil servants’ career success management.