Social face consciousness and help-seeking behavior in new employees: Perceived social support and social anxiety as mediators

Cultural factors play an important role in new employees’ help-seeking behavior (HSB). The relationship between social face consciousness (SFC), as an aspect of traditional Chinese cultures, and HSB has seldom been explored in empirical studies. To examine the potential mediating effects of perceived social support (PSS) and social anxiety (SA) in the relationship between SFC and HSB, we recruited 682 employees with 1 year or less of experience in the job market to complete the survey. As predicted, SFC had a significantly negative predictive effect on HSB, and the chain mediating effects of PSS and SA in the relationship between SFC and HSB were significant. The results of the study could be used as a reference for training new employees in learning how to seek help when needed.