Finding support in emotional expression: An analysis of the implications of emotional communication on enterprise social media

Emotions are widely present in the digital architectures that shape organizational communication. This paper examines the role of emotional expressions on enterprise social media (ESM) and their impact on the perception of social support and trust among employees. Drawing from affective events theory (AET) and emotion as social information (EASI), it explores how digital expressions of emotions shape organizational relationships, specifically focusing on the persistence of such expressions. Through a survey of 313 employees, we analyze perceived emotional expressions on Microsoft Teams and their correlations with social support and trust. Hypotheses are tested using structural equation modeling. The findings highlight that positive emotional expressions are positively associated with affective and cognitive trust through social support. In contrast, negative emotions are negatively associated with these trust dimensions through social support. Notably, the findings highlight the moderating effect of communication persistence, which mitigates negative emotional expressions’ adverse effects on social support. These findings contribute to the organizational behavior and management literature by highlighting the nuanced relationships between persistent digital emotional expressions and trust dynamics in the digital workplace.