From knowledge to feelings: the influence of enterprise social media on metaemotion and deep acting among employees

This study investigates the implications of ESM use, challenging the traditional focus on metaknowledge by integrating metaemotions into the discussion. We delve into how work-related and social-related ESM use informs employees’ perceptions of expertise and deep acting – i.e. attempts to adjust their emotions to align with expectations – driven by an enhanced understanding of metaknowledge. We examine the concept of metaemotion as a mediator in the relationship between ESM use, expertise recognition, and employees’ deep acting. Our research employs structural equation modelling to analyze survey data from 313 employees of a retail organisation. Our findings reveal that while metaknowledge plays a pivotal role in recognising expertise, metaemotion is positively associated with deep acting, offering a novel perspective on the emotional undercurrents of ESM use. The study contributes to the burgeoning literature on ESM by substantiating the multifaceted impacts of such platforms on organisational dynamics, extending beyond cognitive dimensions to the affective realms of work life.