THE INFLUENCE OF EMOTIONALLY CHARGED CONTENT ON DECISION MAKING AND DEVIANT BEHAVIOR: A SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW

Abstract

Digitization has transformed society and communication. Accompanying this transformation, influence operations have hit the headlines. These operations use emotions to influence decision-making. Beyond the political aspect, this situation becomes an issue for management and human resources (HR) strategies, which have to face induced deviant behavior. The impact of the emotional charge of content on decision-making is also the subject of research, but it is scattered across several disciplines, and rarely integrated into management science.
Based on a systematic literature review, this article is focused on the influence of emotions on people who receive emotionally charged content that may affect their trust in those around them, namely colleagues and hierarchy. It is also interested in the impact of emotion on virality, in the link between virality and persuasion/influence. Ultimately, this analysis results in an integrating framework, providing a basis for reflection and action.