In the workplace, the close relationship between subordinates and supervisors is a critical factor in enhancing individual, team, and leadership effectiveness. A subordinate's open support for their direct supervisor (loyalty to the supervisor), affirmation of the supervisor's actions and values (appreciation of the supervisor), and the subordinate's own competencies might significantly influence whether the supervisor perceives the subordinate as trustworthy or someone to be cautiously guarded against, and which might influence the supervisor's forgiveness or social undermining behavior. This study employs a scenario method to design eight scenarios featuring vignettes with varying levels of competence, loyalty, and appreciation. Data was collected from 241 American workers through the PROLIFIC online survey platform. Analysis results indicate that the competence and loyalty of subordinates have significant effects on the level of trust the supervisor places in them (F1, 233 = 196.57 & 47.82, p < .001), showing that subordinates with high competence and high loyalty receive greater trust from supervisors. The competence, loyalty, and appreciation of subordinates all have significant effects on the supervisor's distrust and supervisor forgiveness (F1, 233 = 3.96 - 193.49, p < .05 - .001), indicating that subordinates with high ability, high loyalty, or high appreciation incur less distrust and are more likely to be forgiven. Meanwhile, only subordinate loyalty has a significant effect on the supervisor's social undermining behavior (F1, 233 = 21.69, p < .001), with higher loyalty correlating with reduced likelihood of such behavior by the supervisor. The results suggest that even in countries where face culture is less emphasized, subordinate loyalty and appreciation remain crucial for gaining supervisor trust and reducing distrust. These results contribute to a deeper understanding of cultural influences in management, fostering the development of innovative cross-cultural knowledge rooted in culturally meaningful concepts. Limitations and future directions are discussed.