The Power of Emojis: The Impact of a Leader’s Use of Positive Emoticons on Employee Creativity

Abstract

Past literature on emoticons has offered limited insights on the effect of using emoticons in organizational settings, especially in the context of leader-employee relationships. The current research examines how a leader’s use of positive emoticons influences employees’ perception of being objectified, a phenomenon frequently experienced in workplaces, as well as their creative performance. We find that a leader’s use of positive emoticons decreases employees’ perception of being objectified, which in turn enhances their creativity. We further find that this impact of a leader’s use of positive emoticons on employees’ creativity is stronger when employees have a higher level of interpersonal orientation. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.