Hitting the Mark: The Influence of Emotional Culture on Resilient Performance

Previous research has established the role of positive emotional cultures such as companionate love and joy in predicting team performance. Building on this work, the present study analyzes the role of positive emotional culture variables as predictors of resilient performance by examining patterns of objective team performance in U.S. Army tank crews over time. We also broaden the emotional culture domain by investigating an action-oriented positive emotional culture of optimism and a negative emotional culture of anger. During a high-stakes international military training exercise, 55 U.S. Army tank crews (N = 175) completed a pre-qualification performance event, a final qualification performance event, and surveys at baseline and after both events. The positive emotional culture of optimism predicted a pattern of resilient performance defined as a rebound from poor pre-qualification performance. Emotional cultures of joy and optimism also directly predicted final performance, but neither the emotional culture of companionate love, nor the emotional culture of anger was a significant predictor. Results demonstrate the distinct nature of each of these emotional culture variables, and show that these variables differ from group trait affectivity and cohesion. Teams with a strong emotional culture of optimism were better positioned to rebound in the face of poor performance, suggesting that organizations that promote an optimistic culture develop more resilient teams.

Automated summary

This study examined the impact of positive emotional cultures on team resilience performance, finding that the emotional culture of optimism had a positive effect on rebounding from poor performance. Joy and optimism were also directly related to final performance, while companionate love and anger did not significantly predict performance.