It is true that a smile is not always an emotional expression. Smiles are used as social currency in most organizations to create a positive atmosphere, and a smile usually evokes an unconscious reflexive return smile. However, anyone who has ever smiled at an angry manager knows this doesn’t always work. Research on the “boss effect” suggests that the amount of power and status a person feels over another person dictates who will smile.

Subordinates generally smile more often than their bosses smile back at them. This may happen in part because workers are increasingly expected to show expressions of happiness with their jobs. While an angry manager may not smile back, a happy manager might not either, according to “boss effect” research. The relationship of what we show on our face and how we feel is a very loose one. The science of smiling is an area of current research, but managers and employees may benefit from being more aware of these tendencies. Comprehensive displays of positive emotion may be more helpful in building good business relationships.