Abstract: Data are collected from 392 dyads of employees and their immediate supervisors in about 40 stated-own enterprises to empirically test the mechanisms of employee informal status in organization influences on taking charge. In line with our hypotheses, regression results reveal that: the employee informal status in the organization positively actuates taking charge. Specifically, the higher of the employee informal status the higher of taking charge. The employee informal status indirectly affects taking charge by psychological security. Error management culture significantly strengthens the relationship between employee informal status and taking charge. And the moderated effect of error management culture is completely mediated by the employee psychological security. Therefore, we construct the theoretical framework about the relationships among employee informal status in the organization, error management culture and taking charge. And the results provide a systematic and in-depth interpretation for the issues of “how the employee informal status influences taking charge” and “how the managers can significantly improve the employee’s taking charge”. Finally, the countermeasures and suggestions for the organizations based on the results are discussed.

Key words: informal status in the organization, taking charge, error management culture, psychological security