Organizational Behavior Chapter 4 636o4r

Workplace Emotions, Attitudes, and Stress

Emotions Defined 

Psychological, behavioral, and physiological episodes experienced toward an object, person, or event that create a state of readiness.

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Most emotions occur without our awareness

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Moods – lower intensity emotions without any specific target source

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Types of Emotions

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Attitudes versus Emotions Attitudes

Emotions

Judgments about an attitude object

Experiences related to an attitude object

Based mainly on rational logic

Usually stable for days or longer

Based on innate and learned responses to environment

Usually experienced for seconds or less

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Traditional Model of Attitudes 

Purely cognitive approach • Beliefs: established perceptions of attitude object • Feelings: calculation of good or bad based on

beliefs about the attitude object • Behavioral intentions: motivation to act in response to the attitude object 

Problem: Ignores important role of emotions in shaping attitudes

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Attitudes: From Beliefs to Behavior Perceived Environment Cognitive process

Emotional process

Beliefs Attitude

Emotional Episodes

Feelings Behavioral Intentions

Behavior 4-6

Emotions, Attitudes, and Behavior 

How emotions influence attitudes: 1. Feelings are shaped by cumulative emotional

episodes (not just evaluation of beliefs) 2. We ‘listen in’ on our emotions when determining our attitude toward something 

Potential conflict between cognitive and emotional processes  Emotions also directly affect behavior • e.g. facial expression

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Generating Positive Emotions at Work 

The emotions-attitudesbehavior model illustrates that attitudes are shaped by ongoing emotional experiences.

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Thus, successful companies actively create more positive than negative emotional episodes.

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Cognitive Dissonance 

A state of anxiety that occurs when an individual’s beliefs, feelings and behaviors are inconsistent with one another

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Most common when behavior is: • known to others • done voluntarily • can’t be undone

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Emotional Labor Defined Effort, planning and control needed to express organizationally desired emotions during interpersonal transactions. Emotional labor is higher when job requires: • frequent and long duration display of emotions • displaying a variety of emotions • displaying more intense emotions

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Emotional Labor Across Cultures 

Displaying or hiding emotions varies across cultures • Minimal emotional expression and monotonic voice

in Korea, Japan, Austria • Encourage emotional expression in Kuwait, Egypt, Spain, Russia • The Smile School in Japan

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Emotional Labor Challenges 

Difficult to display expected emotions accurately, and to hide true emotions

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Emotional dissonance • Conflict between true and required emotions • Potentially stressful with surface acting • Less stress through deep acting

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Emotional Intelligence Defined Ability to perceive and express emotion, assimilate emotion in thought, understand and reason with emotion, and regulate emotion in oneself and others

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Model of Emotional Intelligence Highest

Lowest

Relationship Management

Managing other people’s emotions

Social Awareness

Perceiving and understanding the meaning of others’ emotions

Self-management

Managing our own emotions

Self-awareness

perceiving and understanding the meaning of your own emotions

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Emotional Intelligence Competencies Self (personal competence)

Other (social competence)

Recognition of emotions

Self-awareness

Social awareness

Regulation of emotions

Self-management

Relationship management

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Improving Emotional Intelligence 

Emotional intelligence is a set of competencies (aptitudes, skills)

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Can be learned, especially through coaching

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EI increases with age -- maturity

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Job Satisfaction 

A person's evaluation of his or her job and work context  A collection of attitudes about specific facets of the job

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EVLN: Responses to Dissatisfaction Exit Voice

• Leaving the situation • Quitting, transferring • Changing the situation • Problem solving, complaining

Loyalty

• Patiently waiting for the situation to improve

Neglect

• Reducing work effort/quality • Increasing absenteeism

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Job Satisfaction and Performance Happy workers are somewhat more productive workers, but: 1. General attitude is a poor predictor of specific behaviors 2. Job performance affects satisfaction only when rewarded 3. Effect on performance strongest in complex jobs because of greater employee influence on job performance (e.g. limited in assembly lines)

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Happy Staff=Happy Customers at Wegman’s Wegmans Food Market enjoys strong customer loyalty and low employee turnover by keeping employees happy.

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Job Satisfaction and Customers Job satisfaction increases customer satisfaction and profitability because: 1.

Job satisfaction affects mood, leading to positive behaviors toward customers

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Job satisfaction reduces employee turnover, resulting in more consistent and familiar service

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Organizational Commitment 

Affective commitment • Emotional attachment to, identification with, and

involvement in an organization 

Continuance commitment • Calculative attachment – stay because too costly to

quit

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Building (Affective) commitment Justice/

Shared Values Trust

• Apply humanitarian values • employee wellbeing

• Values congruence

• Employees trust org leaders • Job security s trust

Organisational Comprehension

• Know firm’s past/present/future • Open and rapid communication

Employee Involvement

• Employees feel part of company • Involvement demonstrates trust 4-23

What is Stress? 

An adaptive response to a situation that is perceived as challenging or threatening to the person’s well-being  Aphysiological and psychological condition that prepares us to adapt to hostile or noxious environmental conditions  Eustress vs. distress

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General Adaptation Syndrome Stage 1 Alarm Reaction

Stage 2 Resistance

Stage 3 Exhaustion

Normal Level of Resistance

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Consequences of Distress Physiological

Cardiovascular disease, hypertension, headaches

Behavioral

Work performance, accidents, absenteeism, aggression, poor decisions

Psychological

Dissatisfaction, moodiness, depression, emotional fatigue

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Job Burnout Process Interpersonal and Role-Related Stressors

Emotional Exhaustion

Cynicism

Physiological, psychological, and behavioral consequences

Reduced Personal Accomplishment 4-27

What are Stressors? 

Stressors are the causes of stress -- any environmental condition that places a physical or emotional demand on the person.  Some common workplace stressors include: • Harassment an incivility • Work overload • Low task control

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Psychological Harassment Repeated and hostile or unwanted conduct, verbal comments, actions or gestures, that affect an employee's dignity

or psychological or physical integrity and that result in a harmful work environment for the employee.

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Sexual Harassment 

Unwelcome conduct -- detrimental effect on work environment or job performance

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Quid pro quo • employment or job performance is conditional on

unwanted sexual relations 

Hostile work environment • an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working

environment

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Work Overload and Task Control Stressors 

Work Overload Stressor • Working more hours, more intensely than one can

cope • Affected by globalization, consumerism, ideal worker norm 

Task Control Stressor • Due to lack control over how and when tasks are

performed • Stress increases with responsibility

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Individual Differences in Stress 

Different threshold levels of resistance to stressor  Use different stress coping strategies  Resilience to stress • Due to personality and coping

strategies 

Workaholism • Highly involved in work • Inner pressure to work • Low enjoyment of work

© Photodisc. With permission.

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Managing Work-Related Stress 

Remove the stressor • Minimize/remove stressors

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Withdraw from the stressor • Vacation, rest breaks

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Change stress perceptions • Positive self-concept, humor

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Control stress consequences • Healthy lifestyle, fitness, wellness

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