Knowledge@wharton

You know the type: coworkers who never have anything positive to say whether at the weekly staff meeting or in the cafeteria line. They can suck the energy from a brainstorming session with a few choice comments. Their negativity can contaminate even good news. ”We engage in emotional contagion ” says Wharton management professor Sigal Barsade. ”Emotions travel from person to person like a virus.” Barsade is the co-author of a new paper that looks at the impact of employees’ moods emotions and overall dispositions on job performance. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.