Workplace Emotion and Communication

Abstract

Guided by emotional response theory (ERT) and Mehrabian’s theory of nonverbal behavior, the current study examined links between supervisor nonverbal immediacy (NI), employee emotion experience, and employee motives for communicating with a supervisor. Analyses of data collected from 608 participants indicated that supervisor NI significantly predicts subordinates’ emotional experience, including emotion work and perceived emotional support. Subordinates are motivated to attain relationally oriented needs from their supervisor, rather than personal influence needs, through their satisfactory emotion experiences in the workplace. Theoretical contributions and suggestions for future research are discussed.