Toward holistic frontline employee management: An investigation of the interplay of positive emotion displays and dress color

Frontline employees' visual appearance is important in many service industries. Positive emotion displays are especially crucial, as aesthetic such dress color. However, and have commonly been examined independently of each other marketing research. We contribute to research practice by drawing attention customers' holistic perception frontline employees, indicating that displays, color, jointly processed. Across four experiments, we demonstrate the effects positive on customer tipping employee warmth can be amplified using warm (vs. cold) colors. Drawing emotions social information theory, show this interaction explained a cognitive inferential (i.e., fit) not an affective pathway through affect. Our findings guide managers how choose colors increase beneficial displays.