Emotional expression at work: The effects of strategically expressing anger and positive emotions in the context of ongoing relationships

Abstract

Can anger expressions be functional in the context of ongoing relationships at work – and if so, how and when? Drawing on insights from the dual threshold model and on the emotions-as-social-information theory, we develop and test the theoretical proposition that the strategic expression of both anger and positive emotions in the context of ongoing relationships at work yields benefits for individuals. Across four field studies and using multi-wave and multi-source data, we found that, when paired with the strategic expression of positive emotions, strategically expressing anger enhanced both peer- and self-perceptions of cooperation, which in turn contributed to ratings of work effectiveness. The results highlight the importance of studying patterns of strategic emotional expression involving more than one emotion and advance current knowledge of how, when, and why it is beneficial to express anger at work. Implications for research and practice are discussed.