Emotions and Moods in Organizational Behavior

Emotions and Moods

• Emotions are key to workplace behavior and have recently gained attention in the field of Organizational Behavior (OB)

• Some emotions can negatively impact employee performance if not displayed appropriately

• Employees bring their emotions to work, making it important to consider emotions in workplace behavior studies

Emotions vs. Moods vs. Affects

• Emotions are intense feelings that are directed at a specific person or event

• Emotions are more fleeting compared to moods

• Emotions are often easily expressed through facial cues and are action-oriented

• Moods are less intense feelings that arise without a specific event acting as a trigger

• Moods last longer than emotions and are not usually directed at a person or specific event

• Moods are more cognitive, leading to contemplation on a subject

• Affects is an umbrella term encompassing the range of feelings people experience, including both emotions and moods

• Emotions are more fleeting than moods

• Emotions can evolve into moods if the focus on the initial event or object diminishes

Basic Emotions and Affect

• Emotions include anger, contempt, enthusiasm, envy, fear, frustration, disappointment, embarrassment, disgust, happiness, hate, hope, jealousy, joy, love, pride, surprise, and sadness

• René Descartes identified six "simple and primitive passions": wonder, love, hatred, desire, joy, and sadness

• Six universal emotions include anger, fear, sadness, happiness, disgust, and surprise

• Emotions can be plotted on a continuum: happiness–surprise–fear–sadness–anger–disgust

• The closer the emotions are on the continuum, the more likely their confusion

• Positive Emotion expresses a favorable evaluation or feeling, such as joy and gratitude

• Positive Affect consists of emotions like excitement, self-assurance, and cheerfulness

• Negative Emotion expresses anger or guilt

• Negative Affect consists of nervousness, stress, and anxiety

• Positivity Offset is the tendency for people to experience a mildly positive mood when no stimulus is present

Functions of Emotions

• Emotions influence how people perceive and interact with the world

• Emotions serve functions in three areas: intrapersonal, interpersonal, and social/cultural

Intrapersonal Function

• How emotions facilitate self-understanding and reaction to situations

• Self-awareness: Reflecting on personal strengths, weaknesses, or emotions (e.g., journaling)

• Decision-making: Evaluating choices based on values or preferences (e.g., choosing a career path)

Interpersonal Function

• Focuses on emotional connection and communication with others

• Communication: Sharing thoughts, feelings, or information (e.g., resolving a misunderstanding)

• Conflict resolution: Negotiating disagreements (e.g., mediating a disagreement at work)

Cultural Function

• How emotions maintain harmony and order by following societal rules

• Tradition preservation: Maintaining cultural practices (e.g., celebrating cultural festivals)

• Identity formation: Shaping identity through cultural affiliation (e.g., learning a native language)

Sources of Emotions and Moods

• Emotions are short-term responses (e.g., anger), while moods are longer-lasting feelings (e.g., sadness)

• PERSONALITY affects emotional reactions and mood frequency

• Affect intensity: The strength of a person's emotional response

• Illusory correction: The belief of being able to change a situation

• DAY OF THE WEEK AND TIME OF DAY influence emotions and moods

• WEATHER can impact emotions

• STRESS can lead to anxiety, frustration, or sadness

• SOCIAL ACTIVITIES can improve mood, while lack can lead to loneliness

• SLEEP impacts mood, leading to irritability

• EXERCISE releases endorphins, promoting happiness

• AGE can lead to more intense emotions

• GENDER influences emotional expression

Emotional Labor

• Emotional labor involves managing and controlling emotions to meet job expectations

• Emotional dissonance occurs when there's a conflict between felt and expressed emotions

• Displayed emotions are emotions shown outwardly, regardless of true feelings

• Emotional labor: the effort to control emotions for a role

• Emotional dissonance: the stress of having to hide true feelings

• Displayed emotions: the emotions shown to others, whether or not they reflect how you really feel

Affective Events Theory (AET)

• AET explains how workplace events influence employees' emotions, job performance, and attitudes

• Humans are emotional beings, and even minor events can have a cumulative impact

• Workplace Events are occurrences at work that trigger emotional reactions

• Emotional Reactions are immediate responses that can be positive or negative

• Affective Reactions: triggered emotions influence job satisfaction, motivation, and performance

• Impact on Job Outcomes: triggered emotional reactions influence longer-term attitudes and behaviors (productivity, turnover).

• Cognitive Processes: the appraisal of events shapes emotional responses

• AET has been applied to transit users' reactions, work-family boundaries, and ostracism at work

• AET emphasizes the importance of emotions in understanding how workplace events affect employees

Emotional Intelligence (EI)

Emotional Intelligence is the ability to recognize, understand, and manage emotions, fostering capacity for resilience, motivation, empathy, and communication

• Daniel Goleman's Components of EI:

  • Self-Awareness: Understanding one's own emotions
  • Self-Regulation: Controlling emotions
  • Self-Motivation: Using emotions to drive actions -Empathy: Recognizing and understanding others' emotions -Social Skills: Building strong interpersonal relationships

• Emotion Regulation: refers to the processes, when individuals use to manage and respond to their emotional experiences in appropriate and adaptive ways

Types of Emotion Regulation

Adaptive: - Cognitive Reappraisal - Mindfulness -Problem-Solving - Social Support -Acceptance - Exercise and Physical Activity

Maladaptive: -Suppression -Avoidance -Denial -Rumination -Turning to Substances -Aggression

OB Application of Emotions and Moods

• The study of how emotions and moods impact workplace behavior and outcomes, understanding that emotions are meant to improve the decision-making, motivation, creativity, etc.

• Selection (Hiring): High EI is useful for jobs that need interactions with others

• Decision-Making: Good moods help people make faster and smarter decisions

• Creativity: People are more creative when in a good mood

• Happy employees come up with better solutions, and managers should keep their employees happy

• Motivation: Positive moods make people more motivated

• Positive feedback keeps workers in a good mood, and good vibes at work help employees stay motivated.

• Leadership: Good leaders rely on the emotional state of their workers

• Negotiation: Being in a negative emotional state can affect how the counterparty feels, and make them less cooperative in future negotiations

• Customer Service: A calm emotional state will keep customers satisfied and likely to repeat business with the business

Job Attitudes and Deviant Workplace Behavior

• In order to achieve success at work, work should not be taken home

• Many bad behaviors at work come from a negative emotional state

• Envy: resenting something that one does not have

Safety and Injury at Work

• Accidents and workplace hazards will occur if bad moods are common in the workplace

How Managers can Influence Moods

• Managers can positively affect their employees simply by doing and giving more small tokens to their workers to keep moral high etc

• Selecting a positive employee will also help the workplace in that they will influence positive moods to others