Recent research reveals intriguing nuances about the impact of managerial emotions on employee voice behavior. While traditional views have held voice endorsement—managers approving employees’ suggestions—as positive, new findings challenge this assumption.
Two studies conducted by researchers at the CNRS Research Center Lille Economie et Management investigated the emotional dynamics between managers and employees during voice endorsement. The studies focused on how different emotional expressions—anger, happiness, and neutrality—affect employees’ perceptions of psychological safety, significantly shaping their future willingness to express ideas.
According to the researchers, the display of anger, even during endorsement, can render a situation psychologically threatening for employees. "Managers’ displays of anger (relative to happiness or neutral expressions) are negatively related to employees’ perceptions of psychological safety," the authors stated. Such findings are consequential, particularly since voice behavior—actively sharing ideas to improve workplace processes—is linked to performance and innovation.
The two experimental studies engaged participants who role-played employees submitting suggestions during staff meetings. They were exposed to images of managers displaying different emotional cues as they received feedback on their suggestions. The feedback was standardized, but the emotional expression was adjusted to test its impact.
Study 1 demonstrated clear distinctions: participants who faced angry managers endorsing their voices reported significantly lower psychological safety than those whose managers displayed happiness or neutrality. This lower sense of safety predictably correlated with decreased willingness to voice concerns or suggestions again. "When angry managers endorse voice, employees experience lower levels of psychological safety," the findings summarized.
The second study took the exploration even farther, relating this emotional nuance to outright voice rejections. It suggested those endorsed by angry managers felt similar psychological unease compared to those whose suggestions were flatly rejected. Employees experiencing anger-laden endorsements reported feelings akin to rejection, indicating the emotional complexity at play. "Angry endorsements negatively impacted employees’ future voice behavior," emphasized the study's conclusions.
By drawing on the Emotions as Social Information (EASI) model, these findings elucidate how employees interpret managers’ emotional expressions as significant social cues. Employees may perceive emotional cues from managers as signals, impacting not only their psychological safety but their overall willingness to engage proactively at work.
This work marks a pivotal moment for the field of workplace dynamics, indicating the necessity of manager training focused on emotional intelligence. Understanding how subtle cues can drastically alter employee behavior strengthens the argument for organizations to cultivate environments fostering open communication without fear.
Training on emotion regulation and the impact of emotional displays could drastically improve workplace morale and innovation by ensuring employees feel safe to voice their opinions. The research suggests organizations might benefit from developing guidelines on how managers should respond to employee feedback—prioritizing positive emotional expressions to reinforce employees’ sense of safety.
Overall, the studies call to reconsider how managers approach endorsing employee voices. While endorsement is typically viewed as constructive, the emotional lens through which it is delivered can wield as much influence on outcomes as the feedback itself. Acknowledging the potential duality of endorsement as both empowering and threatening opens up new conversations on workplace culture.
Emphatically, the authors conclude, "The display of anger during voice endorsement can undermine the very motivational aspect of being heard." Their findings highlight the need for structured training and awareness among managers to navigate the delicate intersection of emotions and employee engagement with skill and sensitivity.