At the heart of Emily’s research is emotions, particularly the ways in which they form the vibrant palette with which we paint the tapestry of human sociality. She regards emotions as more than mere ephemeral states; rather, they are the currency of collaborations, the foundation of trust, the cornerstone of effective leadership, and more.
Dissertation: Emotional Whiplash
Title: Up, down, and all around: Emotional whiplash and its effects on interpersonal trust and relationships at work
Abstract: Although core theories underscore the temporal and interpersonal aspects of emotions, such theoretical models are currently insufficient to understand how the temporal dynamics and interpersonal nature of emotions interact with one another. How might different interpersonal interactions precipitate one’s emotional dynamism? How might the temporal flow of emotions within an individual impact the interpersonal functioning in relationships between individuals? Accordingly, my dissertation employs a full-cycle approach, combining inductive, abductive, and deductive methods to pioneer and test theory on the phenomenon of emotional whiplash—a relatively sudden and significantly dramatic shift (either in valence and/or arousal) in one’s emotions—and, more broadly, interpersonal emotion dynamics at work. Across six studies, I find that (1) expectancy violations by others drive the experience of emotional whiplash in individuals and (2) observing others’ expressions of emotional whiplash elicits positive affective reactions, sustains trust, and promotes support behavior when the cause of emotional whiplash is attributed to uncontrollable factors but suppresses trustworthiness inferences, dampens trust, and facilitates withdrawal behavior when the cause is attributed to controllable factors. Taken together, by integrating the streams of research on the temporal and interpersonal aspects of emotions, I establish a novel type of emotional change, emotional whiplash. I also shift extant focus from negative relational disruptions to interpersonal expectancy violations as a broader, bivalent trigger of emotion dynamics and, in turn, move beyond prior scholarship that views emotions as static byproducts of relational violations. Finally, I advance knowledge on how and why relationships at work may strengthen or disintegrate over the course of an interaction, as well as enrich the burgeoning body of literature on emotions and trust by exploring the dynamics of trust alongside the dynamics of emotions.
*Awarded Best Paper by AOM Annual Meeting OB Division (2025)
Additional research in progress
Hsu, E. & Antoine, G. E. Workplace shaming behavior. (under review, Academy of Management Review)
Hsu, E. & Knight, A. P. Emotion dynamics at work. (preparing proposal, target: Academy of Management Annals)
Hsu, E. & Strachan, M. J. Nostalgia in crisis management. (analyzing archival data)
Lee, J. I. & Hsu, E. Fresh starts, emotions, and trust repair. (developing theory and study designs)
In addition to emotions, Emily’s research examines the interpersonal relationships and interactions between individuals within an organization. As organizations increasingly prioritize team-based work structures and cross-functional projects, facilitating effective interpersonal interactions becomes ever critical. Interpersonal relationships are the lifeblood of any workplace, shaping everything from team collaboration to leader performance, and emotions are often a driving force behind the scenes. Whether in one-on-one meetings or large-scale projects, the emotional undertones of interpersonal interactions have a profound impact on workplace relationships and overall organizational success.
Hsu, E.*, Jurkiewicz, O.*, Gu, Y., Jamieson, J., & Oveis, C. Stress and co-regulation. (revising manuscript, target: Journal of Management; *co-first authorship)
Hsu, E., Liang, A. X., & Zhang, J. CEOs, transgressions, and employee activism. (analyzing data)
Recognizing that the world of work is in a new era of transformations, Emily also researches how employees and organizations are or have been impacted emotionally, motivationally, or behaviorally by rapid technological advancements, evolving employee expectations, and unprecedented global challenges.
- Winchester, C. C., Hsu, E., Campbell, E. M., & Call, M. L. (2026) Underperformance by design: A scoping review and research agenda of intentional task underperformance at work. Journal of Management, 52(6), 2395-2426.
🔗 View the full paper here
- Hsu, E. Virtual affective convergence. (conducting additional analyses)
*Buchan Prize Winner (Behavioral Area), Olin Business School, Washington University in St. Louis (2024)
- Huang, H.-C., Hsu, E., & Baer, M. AI adoption and creativity. (under review, Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes)
*Finalist for Best PhD Paper Award, Artificial Intelligence in Management (AIM) Conference (2025)
- Huang, H.-C., Hsu, E.*, Park, J.*, Matz, S. C., & Shariff, A. F. AI disclosure (under review, Science; *authors contributed equally)
- Winchester, C. C., Campbell, E. M., Rogers, K. M., & Hsu, E. Intentionally underperforming. (under review, Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes)
Emily Hsu 