A smile is worth a thousand words: the role of internal communications in nurturing an emotional culture of joy at work

Purpose This study focuses on the connection between internal communications and the emotional culture of joy in the workplace. Addressing a research gap in the literature, it examines the roles and responsibilities of internal communications professionals in fostering joy at work, effective internal communications strategies and tactics in nurturing an emotional culture of joy, and the challenges in doing so. Design/methodology/approach The research employed a cross-sectional, qualitative approach, using semi-structured interviews with two distinct samples: 10 internal communications professionals and 10 employees in non-communications roles, resulting in 20 interviews in total. The interviews were conducted with participants from Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Poland, Spain and Switzerland. A constructivist grounded theory approach was used to guide the analysis, exploring participants' lived experiences and allowing the co-construction of meaning between the researcher and the participants. Findings The results of the data analysis show that, although the concept of joy at work is somewhat stigmatized, workplace joy is based on meaningful and fulfilling factors beyond simply having fun. The insights from both interview samples support internal communicators as “emotion brokers” who play a distinct role in shaping, transmitting and sustaining an organization's emotional culture of joy. The insights also demonstrate acceptance for investing greater resources into nurturing an emotional culture of joy at work. This includes a shared responsibility between communicators and other organizational members in utilizing a mix of strategies that require more innovative and engaging approaches to span the gaps left by increasing instances of remote working and the prevailing under-resourcing of organizational communications. Research limitations/implications The data collection was cross-sectional (each interview was conducted at a single point in time), which prevents the observation of changes in workplace culture over time. Having participants from various countries introduced potential cultural nuances into the data – possible discrepancies in how people from different countries identify and assess the concepts of joy, happiness and well-being were not considered. Many participants voiced strong opinions about management; however, no organizational managers were interviewed, which limited insight into their perspectives. The sample selection utilized the researcher's professional network to identify potential participants. With the qualitative design and completion of 20 semi-structured interviews, this approach favors depth over breadth and restricts statistical generalizability. Practical implications The findings provide important theoretical and practical implications. First, the findings theoretically extend emotional culture theory by specifying the communicative micro-processes through which a positive affective climate is co-created, highlighting the overlooked role of internal communicators as “emotion brokers.” Second, the study enriches the literature on strategic internal communications, providing fresh empirical evidence that concrete strategies, tactics and channel mixes do not simply mirror organizational culture; they actively shape it. Third, the findings endorse and extend the ecological perspective on internal communications, showing how communicative practices interact with leadership behavior, HR policies and physical artifacts to form a self-reinforcing system of joy at work. Social implications Increasing global attention is being given to societal happiness and well-being. Having a job is not the only aspect that matters to employees, which requires a closer look at organizational culture and what contributes toward a “positive” emotional culture in the workplace. For organizations, investing in a culture of joy is not a “nice-to-have” but a lever for employee happiness, engagement, creativity and resilience. Communicators can play a crucial role for organizations in embracing a diverse range of strategies that provide employees with a sense of meaning, voice, connection, belonging, empowerment and opportunity. Originality/value This study advances our understanding of how internal communications influences an emotional culture of joy at work. It shows that joy is neither a frivolous add-on nor the sole remit of HR or leadership. Rather, joy emerges from an ecology of communicative practices – relational rituals, transparent dialogue, motivating leader language, peer-driven creative channels and tangible space cues – that mutually reinforce one another. At the center of this system sit internal communicators: boundary spanners who translate strategic intent into everyday meaning, broker relationships across silos and legitimize employee well-being as a strategic concern. Yet, the study also reveals four systemic headwinds – hybrid isolation, resource scarcity, bureaucratic drag and managerial blind spots – that can erode joy if addressed piecemeal.