| Prior research has shown that interpersonal electronic communication influences individual emotions and attitudes, which in turn can influence individual and team performance. Even though the research in the field has significantly contributed to our understanding of emotions and emotional contagion in face-to-face settings, a lot of questions persist regarding the dynamics of the emotional contagion process in the electronic communication context. The purpose of this research project is to diminish the existing knowledge gap on the topic of emotional contagion in the electronic communication environment in organizations, by proposing a theoretical model and conducting a systematic quantitative study and an exploratory field study.;Specifically, drawing on social contagion theory and definitions I propose that individual emotional displays in a dyadic electronic communication will a cause different degree of interpersonal emotional contagion depending on the valence of expressed emotions. Resulted emotional contagion in the electronic communication context is predicted to mediate individual emotional, attitudinal, and performance outcomes. In addition, (1) the stage of personal relationship and (2) individual positional power are predicted to influence this online process.;Based on the proposed model, both a field study and a laboratory experiment are conducted to test the outlined hypotheses. The findings of the experimental study indicate that emotional contagion phenomenon can exist in the electronic communication context and that positive emotions can be more contagious than negative emotions online. In addition, displayed affect, both positive and negative, can be beneficial for individual and joint performance in the short run. The data from the field study is consistent with the experimental study results and also demonstrates that people regularly encounter affective displays online in their professional life. Overall, my findings provide some support for the proposed model of emotional contagion in organizations. Theoretical and practical implications, as well as limitations of the present research and future research directions are also discussed. |
