Cited by 162Emotional Intelligence and PerformanceEmotions and Moral BehaviorSocial and Intergroup Psychology

On Angry Leaders and Agreeable Followers: How Leaders’ Emotions and Followers’ Personalities Shape Motivation and Team Performance

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Van Kleef, Gerben A., Homan, Astrid C., Beersma, Bianca, van Knippenberg, Daan·2010·Psychological Science

Abstract

Do followers perform better when their leader expresses anger or when their leader expresses happiness? We propose that this depends on the follower's level of agreeableness. Anger is associated with hostility and conflict-states that are at odds with agreeable individuals' goals. Happiness facilitates affiliation and positive relations-states that are in line with agreeable individuals' goals. Accordingly, the two studies we conducted showed that agreeableness moderates the effects of a leader's emotional displays. In a scenario study, participants with lower levels of agreeableness responded more favorably to an angry leader, whereas participants with higher levels of agreeableness responded more favorably to a neutral leader. In an experiment involving four-person teams, teams composed of participants with lower average levels of agreeableness performed better when their leader expressed anger, whereas teams composed of participants with higher average levels of agreeableness performed better when their leader expressed happiness. Team performance was mediated by experienced workload, which was highest among agreeable followers with an angry leader. Besides having important practical implications, the findings shed new light on the fundamental question of how emotional expressions regulate social behavior.

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  • Participants low on agreeableness rated an angry leader as more effective than a neutral leader, were more motivated by an angry leader, and performed better under an angry leader.

    “The role of personality is exemplified by studies on leadership effectiveness in which participants low on agreeableness (i.e., who attach comparatively little importance to social harmony) rated an angry leader as more effective than a neutral leader, were more motivated by an angry leader, and performed better under an angry leader, whereas participants high on agreeableness (i.e., who value”

    From The Social Effects of Emotions (2022) · cites this paper as Van Kleef et al. 2010

  • Participants high on agreeableness showed the opposite pattern to low agreeableness participants in response to an angry leader.

    “The role of personality is exemplified by studies on leadership effectiveness in which participants low on agreeableness (i.e., who attach comparatively little importance to social harmony) rated an angry leader as more effective than a neutral leader, were more motivated by an angry leader, and performed better under an angry leader, whereas participants high on agreeableness (i.e., who value”

    From The Social Effects of Emotions (2022) · cites this paper as Van Kleef et al. 2010

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Research works printed but not linked: 2

  1. Fitness, J. (2000). Anger in the workplace: An emotion script approach to anger episodes between workers and their superiors, co-workers and subordinates. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 21, 147-162.
  2. Steiner, I. D. (1972). Group processes and productivity. New York: Academic Press.

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Authors
Van Kleef, G. A., Homan, A. C., Beersma, B., & van Knippenberg, D.
Affiliations
  • University of Amsterdam
  • Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (NL)
  • University of Amsterdam (NL)
  • Erasmus University Rotterdam
Venue
Psychological Science
Published
2010-10-25
Volume
21
Issue
12
Pages
1827-1834
ISSN
  • 0956-7976 (ISSN-L)
  • 1467-9280
OpenAlex
W2164711014
Cited by
162
References
41
Citations by year
2026: 7 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 9 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 13 · 2020: 11 · 2019: 27 · 2018: 8 · 2017: 11 · 2016: 12 · 2015: 13 · 2014: 9 · 2013: 11 · 2012: 3
FWCI
9.18
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Psychological Science (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • UvA-DARE (University of Amsterdam) (publishedVersion)
  • Digital Academic REpository of VU University Amsterdam (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam) (submittedVersion)
  • UvA-DARE (University of Amsterdam) (submittedVersion)
  • VU Research Portal (submittedVersion)
  • Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
Funders
Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (NWO 452-09-010, 452-09-010)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Emotional Intelligence and Performance
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Emotions and Moral Behavior
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Social and Intergroup Psychology
Keywords
anger, happiness, agreeableness, followers, leader-follower relationships, team performance, workload, affiliation, hostility, conflict
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Adult, Anger, Emotions, Female, Group Processes, Humans, Leadership, Male, Middle Aged, Models, Psychological, Motivation, Personality, Surveys and Questionnaires, Social Behavior, Social Perception, Workload, Young Adult

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