Impacto del contagio emocional en la comunicación organizacional de empleados en ONG hacia el desarrollo sostenible

Impacto del contagio emocional en la comunicación organizacional de empleados en ONG hacia el desarrollo sostenible Svetlana Dronova1, Asiyat Tagibova2, Ekaterina Belova3, Natalia Shafazhinskaya4, Rustem Shichiyakh5 1Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russia. E-mail: [email protected]; ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7487-5091. 2Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO), Moscow, Russia. E-mail: a.a.tagibo[email protected]; ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6731-5395. 3Southern Federal University, Rostov-on-Don, Russia. E-mail: evprokopev[email protected]; ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0683-137X. 4K.G. Razumovsky Moscow State University of Technologies and Management (the First Cossack University), Moscow, Russia. E-mail: [email protected]; ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9114-6499. 5Kuban State Agrarian University named after I.T. Trubilin, Krasnodar, Russia. E-mail: [email protected]; ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5159-4350. Resumen. El estudio proporciona evidencia sobre el papel del contagio emocional (un mecanismo sociopsicológico por el cual los estados mentales se transmiten a otras personas) para motivar al personal de organizaciones sociales sin fines de lucro con recursos financieros limitados. El objetivo de la investigación fue identificar los mecanismos a través de los cuales el contagio emocional en las comunicaciones de gestión afecta la motivación de los empleados en organizaciones sociales sin fines de lucro en el contexto del logro de los principios de desarrollo sostenible. El estudio adoptó un diseño de métodos mixtos. Se aplicaron métodos cuantitativos validados para evaluar el contagio emocional, la motivación intrínseca, el ajuste de valores y los estilos de liderazgo entre 267 empleados de 18 organizaciones sin fines de lucro. Posteriormente, se realizaron 15 entrevistas en profundidad con gerentes y seis grupos focales con empleados para comprender mejor los resultados. El análisis estadístico se realizó con métodos no paramétricos: correlación de Spearman, pruebas de MannWhitney y Kruskal-Wallis, y análisis de mediación y moderación con bootstrapping. Los datos cualitativos se sometieron a análisis temático. Se concluyó que el contagio emocional es un mecanismo eficaz para motivar al personal de organizaciones sociales Recibido: 11/02/2025 ~ Aceptado: 15/10/2025 INTERACCIÓN Y PERSPECTIVA Revista de Trabajo Social ISSN 2244-808X ~ Dep. Legal pp 201002Z43506 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17641864 Vol. 16 (1): 180 - 192 pp, 2026 Impacto del contagio emocional en la comunicación organizacional de empleados en ONG hacia el desarrollo sostenible 181 Vol. 16(1) enero - abril 2026/ 180 - 192 Impact of emotional contagion on organizational communication among employees in NGOs working toward sustainable development Abstract. The study provides important empirical evidence of the role of emotional contagion (a socio-psychological mechanism by which mental states are transmitted to other people) to motivate the staff of social non-profit organizations with limited financial resources. The research goal was to identify the mechanisms through which emotional contagion in management communications affects the motivation of employees at social non-profits in the context of achieving sustainable development principles. The study adopted a mixed-methods design. Validated quantitative methods were applied to assess emotional contagion, intrinsic motivation, value fit, and leadership styles among 267 employees from 18 non-profits. Following this, 15 indepth interviews with managers and six focus groups with employees were conducted to gain a deeper understanding of the results. Statistical analysis was conducted with nonparametric methods: Spearman’s correlation, the Mann-Whitney and KruskalWallis tests, and mediation and moderation analysis with bootstrapping. The qualitative data underwent thematic analysis. Emotional contagion was concluded to be an effective mechanism for motivating the staff of social non-profit organizations, acting through value fit and enhanced by transformational leadership. The results provide practical guidelines for the development of HR strategies for the nonprofit sector, particularly for organizations focused on social work (e.g., involving volunteer work). These strategies can contribute to the achievement of sustainable development goals by increasing employee motivation and the quality of social services. Key words: communication, psychology, leadership, volunteers, intrinsic motivation, nonprofit organization, social work. INTRODUCTION Today, social nonprofit organizations operate with a constant shortage of financial resources, which makes traditional approaches to employee motivation ineffective or inaccessible. Unlike commercial entities, nonprofits cannot rely on financial incentives to maintain high employee engagement (Gaponenko & Burtseva, 2024). This creates a need for alternative motivational mechanisms that draw upon intrinsic motives and emotional factors (Fattakhov & Khachatryan, 2024; Kryucheva & Tolstoukhova, 2024). sin fines de lucro, actuando a través de la adecuación a valores y potenciado por el liderazgo transformacional. Los resultados proporcionan directrices prácticas para el desarrollo de estrategias de RR. HH. para el sector sin fines de lucro, en particular para organizaciones centradas en el trabajo social (p. ej., que incluyen trabajo voluntario). Estas estrategias pueden contribuir al logro de los objetivos de desarrollo sostenible al aumentar la motivación de los empleados y la calidad de los servicios sociales. Palabras clave: comunicación, psicología, liderazgo, voluntariado, motivación intrínseca, organización sin fines de lucro, trabajo social. 182 Dronova, Tagibova, Belova, Shafazhinskaya, Shichiyakh Interacción y Perspectiva. Revista de Trabajo Social Vol. 16(1): 2026 Emotional contagion theory (Hatfield et al., 1994) suggests that emotional states can be transmitted from one person to another through mimicry, convergence, and the subsequent emotional contagion. In the organizational context, this phenomenon gains special importance, as the emotional states of managers and colleagues can significantly affect employees’ motivation and performance (Aziyev et al., 2024; Suiunalieva et al., 2024). Research on personnel motivation in nonprofit organizations highlights the dominant role of intrinsic motivation based on the significance of work, the alignment of personal and organizational values, and the person’s ability to contribute to the social mission (Renard & Snelgar, 2018; Ullah & Bishop, 2020). However, the mechanisms through which emotional contagion can enhance or inhibit intrinsic motivation remain understudied. The emotional mechanisms of motivation in social nonprofits are particularly relevant in the framework of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (United Nations, 2015), where the performance of the nonprofit sector plays a pivotal role in addressing global social challenges (Petrova, 2024). Highly motivated social workers provide better social services (Letova, 2023a, 2023b), directly contributing to the achievements of such goals as reducing inequality, providing quality education (Gadzaova et al., 2023; Zhuzeyev et al., 2024), and strengthening social justice. However, empirical data on the specific mechanisms behind the effects of emotional contagion on intrinsic motivation remain fragmentary (Word & Carpenter, 2013; Kharkovskaya et al., 2023; Muchtadin & Sundary, 2023). The research question posed in the study was as follows: How does emotional contagion in management communications affect the intrinsic motivation of employees at social non-profit organizations, and what factors mediate this influence? Research hypotheses: H1: Emotional contagion is positively associated with the intrinsic motivation of employees at nonprofit organizations. H2: The relationship between emotional contagion and intrinsic motivation is mediated by employee-organization value fit. H3: Leadership style moderates the relationship between emotional contagion and intrinsic motivation. This article is structured as follows: the first section provides an overview of the theory of emotional contagion and motivation in the nonprofit sector; next, the adopted mixed-methods design combining quantitative and qualitative components is described; and finally, the results of empirical analysis are presented, and the conclusions and practical recommendations are formulated. LITERATURE REVIEW Theory of emotional contagion The concept of emotional contagion relies on the understanding of emotions as social phenomena capable of spreading among people automatically and unconsciously (Smolin & Palchikova, 2024). Hatfield et al. (1994) define emotional contagion as a tendency to automatically imitate Impacto del contagio emocional en la comunicación organizacional de empleados en ONG hacia el desarrollo sostenible 183 Vol. 16(1) enero - abril 2026/ 180 - 192 and synchronize with other people’s facial expressions, vocalizations, postures, and movements, which then leads to emotional convergence. In the organizational context, emotional contagion functions through three main mechanisms: automatic mimicry, emotional convergence, and the symbolic processing of emotional information. Barsade (2002) demonstrated that both positive and negative emotional contagion affect both individual and team productivity, but positive emotional contagion promotes cooperation and reduces conflict. Recent studies have shed more light on emotional contagion in the digital environment (Shichkin et al., 2024). Li et al. found that emotionally charged content posted by nonprofits on social media greatly increases public engagement, demonstrating the possibility of emotional contagion spreading through mediated communication channels (Kochesokov, 2022; Li et al. 2022). Intrinsic motivation in the non-profit sector Self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 2000) highlights intrinsic motivation as the most stable form of motivation that relies on the basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness. In the context of nonprofit organizations, intrinsic motivation becomes particularly important, since there is little room for external incentives (Donika et al., 2024). Empirical studies of recent years confirm the central role of intrinsic motivation in maintaining the engagement of nonprofit employees (Zentsova, 2024). Ullah and Bishop (2020) demonstrated that passion, empathy, and mission fit act as key intrinsic motivators that contribute to surpassing the set goals. Renard & Snelgar (2017) found intrinsic rewards to mediate the relationship between job characteristics and employee engagement. Studies also reveal that intrinsic motivation promotes positive organizational behavior, including altruism, commitment, and organizational citizenship behavior (Muchtadin & Sundary, 2023; Krainova et al., 2024). Relationship between emotional contagion and motivation The theoretical models of social motivations indicate that emotional contagion can impact motivation by creating shared emotional experiences and reinforcing social ties (Afanasyev et al., 2017; Vassilchenko, 2024). Grant and Shandell’s (2022) model suggests that emotional contagion promotes perseverance and cooperation, creating a favorable environment for the development of intrinsic motivation. Social non-profit organizations are constantly facing the essential task of attracting and retaining volunteers, who make up a significant portion of human resources in the non-profit sector. Volunteers can be attracted by both formal rewards (e.g., benefits, certificates, and training opportunities) and emotional incentives associated with feeling the importance of the work and belonging to a community of like-minded people (Markheim & Lukyanova, 2023). Studying the relationship between volunteers’ emotional labor and their engagement, Miao et al. (2024) found that the strategies of profound emotional impact mediate the relationship between intrinsic motivation and the positive results of volunteering. This study suggests that emotion management can serve as a mechanism to transform intrinsic motivation into specific behavioral outcomes. 184 Dronova, Tagibova, Belova, Shafazhinskaya, Shichiyakh Interacción y Perspectiva. Revista de Trabajo Social Vol. 16(1): 2026 Silva et al. (2024) introduced the concept of emotional salary — a system of non-monetary rewards, including the recognition of achievements, a favorable working atmosphere, professional growth opportunities, and a sense of belonging to a significant activity, which boost motivation through affective mechanisms. In a correlation study, emotional salary demonstrated a positive effect on job satisfaction and performance, giving rise to positive affective processes (Gasanov, 2024). Role of leadership in emotional contagion Leaders play a critical role in initiating and directing emotional contagion in an organization (Akhmetshin et al., 2025). Goleman et al. (2002) argue that the emotional state of the leader has a disproportionate effect on emotional climate in the organization because of their power and visibility. Wang (2021) found that engaged leadership and organizational support affect organizational commitment in the nonprofit sector through stakeholder management mechanisms, which emphasizes the importance of leadership behavior in creating a motivating work environment. Gaps in research and rationale for the study Our analysis of the existing body of research points to several significant gaps. First, there is a lack of empirical research focused directly on the relationship between emotional contagion and intrinsic motivation in the context of nonprofit organizations. Most studies examine these constructs in isolation, giving no insight into their interactions. Second, there is not enough research on the mediating mechanisms by which emotional contagion can influence motivation. Existing theoretical models suggest the involvement of value fit and social identification, but there is little empirical evidence to support these assumptions. Third, the lack of validated tools for measuring emotional contagion in the organizational context of the non-profit sector hinders quantitative research in this area. Our study aims to address these gaps by examining the association between emotional contagion and intrinsic motivation in a mixed-methods study, both to quantify these associations and investigate their underlying mechanisms qualitatively. METHODS Study design The study used a sequential mixed-methods design, where the quantitative phase was followed by the qualitative phase to ensure a deeper understanding of the statistical patterns identified. This approach combines the statistical rigor of quantitative analysis with the contextual depth of qualitative research. Sample The sample comprised 267 employees from 18 nonprofit organizations in the fields of social services, education, healthcare, and environmental protection. The organizations were selected through purposive sampling based on the criteria of being officially recognized as an NGO, having at least 10 full-time employees, and operating for at least 3 years. Impacto del contagio emocional en la comunicación organizacional de empleados en ONG hacia el desarrollo sostenible 185 Vol. 16(1) enero - abril 2026/ 180 - 192 The key characteristics of the sample were as follows: average age — 34.2 years (SD = 8.7), 68% women, average work experience in the current organization — 2.8 years (SD = 2.1). In terms of job levels, 45% of the participants were ordinary employees, 35% were mid-level specialists, and 20% were department heads. In the course of the study, we conducted 15 in-depth interviews with the heads of organizations and six focus groups with employees (6–8 people each, 42 participants in total). Emotional contagion was measured with a variation of the Emotional Contagion Scale adapted to the organizational context based on the work of Barsade et al. (2018) on emotional contagion in organizational life (Barsade et al., 2018). The scale contained 15 items assessing the tendency to automatically reproduce the emotional states of colleagues and managers (α = .89). Intrinsic motivation was assessed with the Intrinsic Work Motivation Scale (Renard & Snelgar, 2018), validated on nonprofit employees. The scale includes 18 items targeting interest in the tasks, the sense of competence, and self-determination (α = .92). Value fit was assessed using the Person-Organization Fit Scale (Cable & DeRue, 2002) adapted to the non-profit sector, which included nine items (α = .85). Leadership styles were determined using an abridged version of the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (Avolio & Bass, 2004). All questionnaires used a 5-point Likert scale from “completely disagree” to “completely agree.” Data collection and analysis procedure Quantitative data were collected through an online survey. The response rate was 78% (267 out of the 342 invitees). Interviews with managers lasted 45-60 minutes, and focus groups took 90-120 minutes. All interviews were recorded with participants’ consent. Statistical analysis used non-parametric methods: Spearman’s correlation coefficient to assess links between variables, the Mann-Whitney U-test to compare groups, and mediation analysis with non-parametric bootstrapping (Hayes, 2017), which included 5,000 iterations of random sample extraction with return from the initial data to assess the distribution of indirect effects and construct 95% confidence intervals. The qualitative data were subjected to thematic analysis with independent coding by two researchers. The study was approved by the university’s ethics committee. RESULTS Descriptive statistics and correlations between the main variables under study are presented in Table 1. The Shapiro-Wilk test showed deviations from the normal distribution in most variables, suggesting the need for nonparametric methods. TABLE 1. Descriptive statistics and correlations between variables. Variable Mdn IQR 1 2 3 4 1. Emotional contagion 3.40 0.93 — 2. Intrinsic motivation 3.78 1.06 .64*** — 3. Value fit 3.67 1.22 .52*** .69*** — 4. Transformational leadership 3.33 1.33 .48*** .56*** .61*** — Note. N = 267. Mdn = Median; IQR = Interquartile range. Spearman’s rank correlation. ***p < .001. 186 Dronova, Tagibova, Belova, Shafazhinskaya, Shichiyakh Interacción y Perspectiva. Revista de Trabajo Social Vol. 16(1): 2026 Spearman’s correlation analysis shows significant positive associations between all variables studied. The strongest correlation is the one between emotional contagion and intrinsic motivation, which confirms the first hypothesis of the study. The analysis of differences by demographic characteristics reveals significant differences in the level of emotional contagion and intrinsic motivation between different positions (Table 2). TABLE 2. Differences in key variables by demographic characteristics. Characteristic Group n Emotional contagion Mdn (IQR) Intrinsic motivation Mdn (IQR) U/H p Gender Women 181 3.53 (0.87) 3.89 (0.94) 2947.5 .021 Men 86 3.20 (1.07) 3.61 (1.22) Work experience Under 2 years 142 3.27 (1.00) 3.67 (1.11) 3821.0 .006 Over 2 years 125 3.60 (0.80) 3.89 (0.94) Position Nonmanagement employees 120 3.33 (0.93) 3.72 (1.06) 15.42† .001 Specialists 94 3.44 (0.87) 3.78 (0.89) Managers 53 3.67 (0.93) 4.00 (1.00) Note. U = Mann-Whitney U test; †H = Kruskal-Wallis test; Mdn = Median; IQR = Interquartile range. Women show significantly higher levels of emotional contagion and intrinsic motivation compared to men. Employees with more than 2 years of experience scored higher on both variables. Considering job levels, executives have the highest levels of both emotional contagion and intrinsic motivation. The second hypothesis was tested through mediation analysis, the results of which are presented in Table 3. TABLE 3. Analysis of the mediating role of value fit. Path B SE z p 95% CI (bootstrap) a (EC → VF) 0.65 0.07 9.28*** < .001 [0.51, 0.79] b (VF → IM) 0.42 0.05 8.41*** < .001 [0.32, 0.52] c’ (EC → IM) 0.40 0.06 6.67*** < .001 [0.28, 0.52] c (general effect EC → IM) 0.67 0.06 11.23*** < .001 [0.55, 0.79] Indirect effect (a×b) 0.27 0.04 — — [0.19, 0.36] Note. EC = Emotional contagion; VF = Value fit; IM = Intrinsic motivation. ***p < .001. Impacto del contagio emocional en la comunicación organizacional de empleados en ONG hacia el desarrollo sostenible 187 Vol. 16(1) enero - abril 2026/ 180 - 192 The results reveal a significant indirect effect of value fit on the relationship between emotional contagion and intrinsic motivation. This result supports the second hypothesis that value fit mediates the relationship between emotional contagion and intrinsic motivation. The third hypothesis was tested by means of moderation analysis with bootstrapping. The results are shown in Table 4. TABLE 4. The moderating role of transformational leadership. Predictor B SE (bootstrap) z p 95% CI Emotional contagion 0.45 0.07 6.43*** < .001 [0.31, 0.59] Transformational leadership 0.24 0.05 4.80*** < .001 [0.14, 0.34] EC × TL 0.18 0.06 3.00** .003 [0.06, 0.30] Note. Pseudo-R² = .48. EC = Emotional contagion; TL = Transformational leadership. **p < .01, ***p < .001. A significant interaction effect was found between emotional contagion and transformational leadership (B = 0.18, p = .003). The analysis of simple effects shows that the association between emotional contagion and intrinsic motivation is stronger with a high level of transformational leadership as compared to a low level. Qualitative analysis results The thematic analysis of interviews and focus groups highlights three key mechanisms by which emotional contagion affects motivation (Table 5). TABLE 5. Key themes in the qualitative analysis. Theme Frequency of mentions Key sub-themes Emotional modeling of leadership 87% of participants Transfer of enthusiasm, demonstration of commitment to the mission, emotional support Creating shared emotional experiences 74% of participants Team rituals, celebrating successes together, overcoming challenges collectively Strengthening value fit 69% of participants Emotional connection with the mission, shared values, sense of belonging The participants note that the emotions of leaders “infect” the entire team: “When our director is passionate about some new project, it encourages us all” (Head of department, female, age 35). Shared emotional experiences, on the other hand, promote team spirit: “As we experience both joys and difficulties together, we become more united” (Specialist, male, age 28).