The Emotion of Schadenfreude: Its Emergence, Consequences and Relevance in the Workplace

Abstract In this chapter, we explore the emotion of schadenfreude (defined as pleasure derived from others’ misfortune) that, despite its relevance, has been largely overlooked in management and organisational research. Emotions are central to workplace behaviour, yet key questions remain about how schadenfreude develops, what shapes it and how it influences individuals and organisations. To address this gap, we draw on emotional appraisal theory to explain how schadenfreude arises through cognitive evaluation processes. Integrating insights from neuroscience, social psychology and organisational behaviour (OB), we unpack the development and function of this complex emotion. Our synthesis shows that schadenfreude is not inherently malicious or primitive; rather, it is shaped by contextual cues and individual-level factors such as personality traits, cognitive patterns and emotional states. We outline how schadenfreude affects behaviour and action tendencies, motor expression and post-emotion cognition and decision-making. This chapter offers the first comprehensive conceptual framework of schadenfreude in organisational contexts, introduces an appraisal-based model and highlights practical implications while paving the way for future research.