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Current research suggests a positive link between followers’ perceptions of their leaders’ expression of positive emotions and followers’ trust in their leaders. Based on the theories about the social function of emotions, the authors aim to qualify this generalized assumption. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that followers’ perceptions of leaders’ expressions of specific positive emotions – namely, pride and gratitude – differentially influence follower ratings of leaders’ trustworthiness (benevolence, integrity, and ability), and, ultimately, trust in the leader.

The hypotheses were tested using a multimethod approach combining experimental evidence (n=271) with longitudinal field data (n=120).

Both when experimentally manipulating leaders’ emotion expressions and when measuring followers’ perceptions of leaders’ emotion expressions, this research found leaders’ expressions of pride to be consistently associated with lower perceived benevolence, while leaders’ expressions of gratitude were associated with higher perceptions of benevolence and integrity.

This paper theoretically and empirically establishes that leaders’ expressions of discrete positive emotions differentially influence followers’ trust in the leader via trustworthiness perceptions.

Purpose – We aim to elucidate the influence of leaders' emotion expressions on the social distance between leaders and followers in face-to-face and digital communication.

Design/methodology/approach – Literature review

Findings – Following functional theories on emotions, leaders' expressions of socially engaging emotions (e.g., guilt, happiness, gratitude, and compassion) lower social distance. Leaders' expressions of socially disengaging emotions (e.g., anger, contempt, disgust, and pride) increase social distance. In digital communication, we propose that the effect of socially engaging and disengaging emotions depends on the social presence that is provided by the different digital communication media.

Practical implication – Based on our theoretical model, we derive implications for (1) leaders' use of face-to-face communication, (2) the importance of digital communication with high social presence, (3) leaders' use of digital communication as a tool for emotion regulation, and (4) coping strategies when communicating via digital means with low social presence.

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the influence of two different facets of pride – authentic and hubristic – on helping.

Hypotheses were tested combining an experimental vignette study (n=75) with correlational field research (n=184).

Results reveal that hubristic pride is associated with lower levels of intended helping compared with authentic pride when experimentally induced; further, trait hubristic pride is negatively related with helping, whereas trait authentic pride is positively related to helping, while controlling for alternative affective and cognitive explanations.

The use of vignettes and self-reports limits the ecological validity of the results. But when considered in combination, results provide important indications on how helping can be fostered in organizations: by emphasizing successes and the efforts that were necessary to achieve them.

The results highlight the differential effects of discrete emotions in organizations.