This study contributes to the CMS literature by identifying trust as the mediator
to enhance the understanding of the mechanism by which the CMS of leaders
affects the attitudinal outcomes of their subordinates. It also contributes to the
literature of trust by identifying CMS as a significant antecedent of trust which has
been missing from the studies of trust in the past four decades. Finally, this study
attempts to enhance our insight and theoretical understanding of the issues of CMS
and trust in a Chinese context, which involves a culture markedly different from
that of the West.