Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2021

DOI

10.1080/1359432X.2021.2017887

Publication Title

European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology

Abstract

Due to its influence on important workplace outcomes, surface acting has drawn increasing attention from researchers in recent years. Most of the research in this area has focused on employees’ interactions with individuals external to the organization, such as customers and clients (Bolton, 2005; Grandey et al., 2013). With the current study, we contribute to and extend the literature by focusing on employees’ leader-directed surface acting and examining how leader-directed surface acting (i.e., faking positive emotions and suppressing negative emotions in interactions with one’s leader) relates to leader ratings of employee task performance. Data collected from 414 employees and 103 leaders showed that employees’ faking positive emotions in interactions with leaders was positively associated with employee withdrawal, but withdrawal was not significantly related to leader-rated task performance. In addition, male employees’ suppressing negative emotions in interactions with leaders was positively associated with leaders’ communication satisfaction, which was, in turn, positively related to leader-rated task performance. Yet, similar effects were not found for female employees. Theoretical and practical study implications are discussed.

Comments

This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology on December 28, 2021 available online: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1359432X.2021.2017887

Xiaoxiao Hu, Yujie Zhan, William P. Jimenez, Rebecca Garden & Yi Li (2021). Fake it till you make it with your boss? Surface acting in interactions with leaders. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, doi: 10.1080/1359432X.2021.2017887

ORCID

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1141-4631 (Jimenez)

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