Consequences of Emotional Displays: Customer Emotion, Distress at Work, Culture, and Trust

Abstract

From negotiations to customer interactions, individuals glean critical information from the emotional displays of others. The emotions individuals display offer important insight into how others appraise a situation. As scholars, however, we know surprisingly little about the social consequences of emotional displays. In this symposium, we break new ground by documenting the interpersonal effects of emotional displays. We explore emotional displays in customer interactions, we explore how different frames of the same expression influence perceptions, we explore cross-cultural differences, we explore expressions of emotional ambivalence, and we consider the critical role of context in moderating our understanding of emotional expressions. Our symposium explores several interpersonal dynamics, but two of papers focus particular attention on the relationship between emotional expressions and the key organizational construct of trust.