This study investigates how employees' trust in their supervisors influences information distortion in the workplace, with a focus on the moderating effects of altruism and negative thinking. While transparent communication is crucial for effective policy implementation, employees' varying levels of trust in their supervisors may hinder information accuracy, leading to operational inefficiencies. Prior research has lacked empirical evidence on how employees' psychological perceptions shape supervisor trust and subsequent information distortion. To address this gap, this study adopts an employee cognition perspective to analyze (1) the relationship between supervisor trust and information distortion, and (2) the moderating roles of altruistic tendencies and negative thinking in this dynamic.


For the research design, data was collected via a survey of 336 full-time employees. Hierarchical regression analysis was employed to test the hypotheses. The findings reveal that employees' trust in supervisors has a negative relationship with information distortion behavior. While altruism does not significantly moderate this relationship, negative thinking partially moderates the effect of supervisor trust on information distortion.


The results provide valuable insights into how cognitive and psychological factors influence information transmission in organizations. Practical implications are discussed, including strategies to enhance supervisor-employee trust and mitigate negative cognitive biases. Additionally, this study contributes to the literature by empirically examining the mechanisms of information distortion and offers directions for future research in organizational communication and trust dynamics.