Publication Type

Journal Article

Version

acceptedVersion

Publication Date

11-2020

Abstract

The present research examined how the use of different email functions impact dynamics between team members. We first illustrate that it is not so uncommon for employees to find out that the Bcc option has been used in email communications at work. Building on this insight, we then demonstrate that senders using the Bcc option are evaluated by recipients as less moral and consequently as less fitting to be the team leader compared to senders who use the Cc option. Interestingly, this effect occurred regardless of whether or not the sender provided a commonly cited reason for Bcc use. Next, we show that deciding to forward an email reveals an equally negative effect on morality perceptions and rated leadership emergence as using the Bcc option. Finally, we illustrate that although participants perceived the act of rewriting an email message as more moral than Bcc usage, rewriting an email message nevertheless produced similar negative consequences for the sender as the use of the Bcc or the forward option on whether or not the sender is considered fit to be team leader. The present findings complement previous research by showing that secretly communicating information through email can negatively impact team dynamics.

Keywords

Email functions, team dynamics, morality, emergent leadership

Discipline

Business and Corporate Communications | Organizational Behavior and Theory

Publication

Computers in Human Behavior

Volume

112

First Page

1

Last Page

11

ISSN

0747-5632

Identifier

10.1016/j.chb.2020.106478

Publisher

Elsevier

Copyright Owner and License

Authors

Additional URL

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2020.106478

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