Abstract The present research examined how the use of different email functions impact dynamics between team members. We first illustrate that it is not so uncommon for employees to find out that the Bcc option has been used in email communications at work. Building on this insight, we then demonstrate that senders using the Bcc option are evaluated by recipients as less moral and consequently as less fitting to be the team leader compared to senders who use the Cc option. Interestingly, this effect occurred regardless of whether or not the sender provided a commonly cited reason for Bcc use. Next, we show that deciding to forward an email reveals an equally negative effect on morality perceptions and rated leadership emergence as using the Bcc option. Finally, we illustrate that although participants perceived the act of rewriting an email message as more moral than Bcc usage, rewriting an email message nevertheless produced similar negative consequences for the sender as the use of the Bcc or the forward option on whether or not the sender is considered fit to be team leader. The present findings complement previous research by showing that secretly communicating information through email can negatively impact team dynamics.

中文翻译：

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在电子邮件通信中使用抄送、密件抄送、转发和重写如何影响团队动态

摘要 本研究考察了不同电子邮件功能的使用如何影响团队成员之间的动态。我们首先说明，员工发现密件抄送选项已用于工作中的电子邮件通信的情况并不少见。基于这一见解，我们然后证明，与使用 Cc 选项的发件人相比，使用 Bcc 选项的发件人被收件人评估为不道德，因此更不适合担任团队领导。有趣的是，无论发件人是否提供了使用密件抄送的常见原因，这种效果都会发生。接下来，我们表明，决定转发电子邮件揭示了与使用密件抄送选项相同的对道德观念和领导力出现的负面影响。最后，我们说明，虽然参与者认为重写电子邮件的行为比使用密件抄送更道德，但重写电子邮件对发件人产生了与使用密件抄送或转发选项类似的负面后果，即是否考虑发件人适合做团队领导。目前的研究结果表明，通过电子邮件秘密交流信息会对团队动态产生负面影响，从而补充了之前的研究。