Study 4 also supported the use of IEM strategies in leader–follower relationships,
but the IEM strategies scale could also be used to examine how employees manage
coworkers’, leaders’, and customers’ negative emotions at work. Others’ negative
emotions are related to many organizationally relevant outcomes, and understanding
how employees can successfully manage these emotions should be studied further.
The relationship between IEM strategies and EI should also be investigated further.
Understanding how EI impacts outcomes through IEM strategies could help explain
many unanswered questions. Research should examine how the deployment of the IEM
strategies affects the agent. Do attempts at managing others’ emotions draw upon the
agent’s energy resources? Or, on the other hand, does the perceived prosocial impact of
IEM strategies decrease the likelihood of burnout (Grant & Sonnentag, 2010)?