Emojis at Work: The Effects of Emoji Use on Perceptions of Competence and Appropriateness

Emojis are increasingly used in the workplace, yet their impact on professional interactions remains unclear. This study examined how using positive and negative emojis in simulated workplace instant messages (IMs) influenced perceptions of the sender’s competence and communication appropriateness. In the main experimental study, participants (N = 243; 134 men, 109 women) read IMs varying in sentence valence (positive, negative, neutral), emoji valence (positive, negative, no emoji), and sender gender (man, woman). The emotional valence and realism of the text sentences were validated in a pilot study. We found that both sentence and emoji valence significantly influenced perceptions of sender competence and appropriateness in professional communications. Positive emojis enhanced competence perceptions when paired with positive or neutral sentences, but had no effect with negative sentences. Negative emojis generally decreased perceived competence, especially when paired with positive or neutral sentences. Regarding appropriateness, sentences without emojis or those paired with positive emojis were viewed as most appropriate, while those paired with negative emojis were seen as least appropriate. Interactions involving sender and recipient gender revealed that, compared to men, women judged negative messages from women (but not men) senders as less appropriate (but not less competent). These findings highlight the importance of considering emoji valence, message content, and gender in professional interactions, and demonstrate how emojis can potentially be leveraged to create a positive impression and avoid breaking social norms.