Week 4 OB

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Essentials of Organizational Behavior

Fourteenth Edition

Chapter 4

Emotions and Moods

After studying this chapter you should be able to:

Differentiate between emotions and moods.

Identify the sources of emotions and moods.

Show the impact emotional labor has on employees.

Describe affective events theory.

Describe emotional intelligence.

Identify strategies for emotion regulation.

Apply concepts about emotions and moods to specific OB issues.

Affect, Emotions, and Moods

Affect is a generic term that covers a broad range of feelings people experience. This includes both emotions and moods. Emotions are intense feelings that are directed at someone or something. Moods are the feelings that tend to be less intense than emotions and that lack a contextual stimulus.

The Basic Emotions

Six universal emotions

Anger

Fear

Sadness

Happiness

Disgust

Surprise

Many researchers agree on six essentially universal emotions – anger, fear, sadness, happiness, disgust, and surprise. Some even plot them along a continuum: happiness – surprise – fear – sadness – anger – disgust. The closer two emotions are to each other on this continuum, the more likely people will confuse them. Emotions can differ depending on whether a society is individualistic or collectivistic in terms of the general outlook of its people.

Moral Emotions

Emotions that have moral implications because of our instant judgment of the situation that evokes them

Moral disgust

Research on moral emotions focus on examples such as sympathy for the suffering of others, guilt about our own immoral behavior, anger about injustice done to others, and contempt for those who behave unethically.

The Basic Moods: Positive and Negative Affect

Positive affect: a mood dimension consisting of positive emotions such as excitement, enthusiasm, and elation at the high end (high positive affect) and boredom, depression, and fatigue at the low end (low positive affect)

Negative affect: a mood dimension consisting of nervousness, stress, and anxiety at the high end (high negative affect) and contentedness, calmness, and serenity at the low end (low negative affect)

Our basic moods carry positive and negative affects; they cannot be neutral. Emotions are grouped into general mood states.

The Affect Circumplex

People rarely experience both positive and negative affect at the same time. Over time, we differ in how much we experience of each.

Experiencing Moods and Emotions

Positive moods are somewhat more common than negative moods

Positivity offset: at zero input, most people experience a mildly positive mood

The degree to which people experience positive and negative emotions varies across cultures. Some cultures value certain emotions more than others, which leads individuals to change their perspective on experiencing those emotions.

The Function of Emotions and Moods

Emotions and Rationality

Emotions are critical to rational thought: they help us understand the world around us

Emotions and Ethics

New research suggests that ethical behavior may be based to some degree on emotions and feelings

There are some who think that emotions are linked to irrationality and expressing emotions in public may be damaging to your career or status. However, research has shown that emotions are necessary for rational thinking.

People who are behaving ethically are at least partially making decisions based on their emotions and feelings.

Emotions help us make better decisions and help us understand the world around us. If we are going to make decisions, we need to incorporate both thinking and feeling.

Sources of Emotions and Moods (1 of 2)

Personality

Some people experience certain moods and emotions more frequently than others

Affect intensity: experiencing the same emotions with different intensities

Time of day

People vary in their moods by time of day

Day of the week

People tend to be in their best mood on the weekend

Affectively intense people experience both positive and negative emotions more deeply. Many are happier toward the end of the week or mid-day.

Sources of Emotions and Moods (2 of 2)

Time-of-Day Effects on Moods of U.S. Adults as Rated from Twitter Postings

Levels of positive affect are greatest in the evening, and the lowest in the early morning, on most days of the week. Levels of negative affect are also the highest in the overnight hours, but the lowest point is later in the morning than for positive affect.

More Sources

Weather

Illusory correlation

No impact according to research

Stress

Increased stress worsens moods

Sleep

Lack of sleep increases negative emotions and impairs decision making

Weather is thought to have an impact on our emotions, but there is no proven effect.

Stress is an important factor and even at low levels it can cause our mood to change. It is important to maintain a low level of stress to help us control our psychological, as well as our physical health. Social activities have been shown to have a positive impact on our moods. This could be physical outlets such as playing in a basketball league, or it can be going out to dinner with friends. These types of activities are found to have a positive impact on our moods.

Sleep can be another factor; it is important to get enough, and high quality levels, of sleep.

Even More Sources

Exercise

Mildly enhances positive mood

Age

Older people experience negative emotions less frequently

Sex

Women show greater emotional expression, experience emotions more intensely, and display more frequent expressions of emotions

Could be due to socialization

Physical activity can also aid in keeping our moods upbeat.

Some characteristics that are beyond our control can impact our moods, such as age and gender. Elderly people tend to have fewer negative emotions. Women tend to express their emotions readily, and their moods tend to last longer. Research has shown that this is due more to cultural socialization than to biology.

Emotional Labor

Emotional labor: an employee’s expression of organizationally desired emotions during interpersonal transactions at work

Emotional dissonance: when an employee has to project one emotion while simultaneously feeling another

In many jobs there is an implied agreement on the types of emotions that should be expressed. For example, waitresses are supposed to be friendly and cheerful whether they are currently feeling that emotion or not. When employees don’t feel the emotion they are required to express, they may experience emotional dissonance. This can lead to burnout and frustration with the job.

Felt vs. Displayed Emotions

Felt Emotions:

The individual’s actual emotions

Displayed Emotions:

The learned emotions that the organization requires workers to show and considers appropriate in a given job

Surface Acting - hiding one’s true emotions

Deep Acting - trying to change one’s feelings based on display rules

An employee’s actual emotions are their felt emotions and this is in contrast to the emotions that are required or deemed appropriate, which are called displayed emotions. There are two levels of displayed emotions that can be expressed. They are both appropriately called acting. Surface acting occurs when an employee displays the appropriate emotions even when he doesn’t feel those emotions. Deep acting occurs when the employee actually changes her internal feelings to match displayed rules. This level of acting can be very stressful.

Affective Events Theory

How do emotions and moods influence job performance and satisfaction?

Affective events theory (AET): employees react emotionally to things that happen to them at work, and this reaction influences their job performance and satisfaction

AET provides us with valuable insights into the role emotions play in primary organizational outcomes of job satisfaction and job performance.

Work events trigger positive or negative emotional reactions, to which employees’ personalities and moods predispose them to respond with greater or lesser intensity.

Emotions influence performance and satisfaction variables such as organizational citizenship behavior, organizational commitment, level of effort, intention to quit, and workplace deviance.

Emotional Intelligence (1 of 2)

Emotional intelligence: a person’s ability to:

Perceive emotions in the self and others

Understand the meaning of these emotions

Regulate one’s emotions in a cascading model

Emotional Intelligence (EI) is a growing area of study is becoming increasingly important in the understanding of how individuals behave. EI is pulling in one’s understanding of emotions and their impact on behavior. Individuals who are emotionally intelligent will have a strong sense of self-awareness, recognizing their own emotions when experienced. They are also able to detect emotions in others. By understanding their own emotions and those of others, they can manage emotional cues and information to make decisions.

Emotional Intelligence (2 of 2)

A Cascading Model of Emotional Intelligence

People who know their own emotions and are good at reading emotional cues are most likely to be effective.

Emotional Intelligence on Trial

The case for:

Intuitive appeal – it makes sense

EI predicts criteria that matter –positively correlated to high job performance

Study suggests that EI is neurologically based

The case against:

EI is too vague a concept

EI can’t be measured

EI is so closely related to intelligence and personality that it is not unique when those factors are controlled

EI plays a very important role in job performance; however, the jury is still out on the role EI plays in effectiveness in organizations.

The case for EI is based on the fact that it makes sense and appeals to our intuitive thinking. It tends to predict things that matter and are positively correlated to high job performance. Many studies have shown that EI is neurologically based and thus helpful in predicting behavior.

However, EI has its critics as the concept can be seen as too vague and not easily measured. Since it is so closely related to intelligence and personality theories, it is not seen as unique when these factors are controlled.

Emotion Regulation

Emotion regulation: identifying and modifying the emotions you feel

Effective emotion regulation techniques include:

Acknowledging emotional responses to situations

Venting

Emotion regulation involves identifying and modifying the emotions you feel. Research on effective emotion regulation techniques is ongoing, but studies show that acknowledging, rather than suppressing, our emotional responses to situations and reevaluating events after they occur can be effective, as can open expression of emotions, or venting.

OB Applications of Emotions and Moods

Selection – Employers should consider EI a factor in hiring for jobs that demand a high degree of social interaction

Decision Making – Positive emotions can increase problem-solving skills and help us understand and analyze new information

Creativity – Positive moods and feedback may increase creativity

There are numerous applications of emotions and moods. These include selection of employees, decision making, and creativity.

More OB Applications of Emotions and Moods

Motivation – Promoting positive moods may give a more motivated workforce

Leadership – Emotions help convey messages more effectively

Customer Service – Customers “catch” emotions from employees, called emotional contagion

Motivation, leadership, negotiation, and customer service are also work outcomes that are impacted by emotions and moods, and it is important for managers to understand the connection.

Even More OB Applications of Emotions and Moods

Job Attitudes – Emotions at work get carried home but rarely carry over to the next day

Deviant Workplace Behaviors – Those who feel negative emotions are more likely to engage in deviant behavior at work

Safety and Injury at Work – Bad moods can contribute to injuries on the job

Job attitudes can influence our home life but don’t always get carried back to the workplace. However, deviant workplace behaviors are often the result of negative emotions and significantly impact the workplace. Negative emotions can also lead to increased injuries at work.

Implications for Managers (1 of 2)

Recognize that emotions are a natural part of the workplace and good management does not mean creating an emotion-free environment

To foster creative decision making, creativity, and motivation in employees, model positive emotions and moods as much as is authentically possible

Provide positive feedback to increase the positivity of employees. Of course, it also helps to hire people who are predisposed to positive moods.

In summary, moods and emotions are important to the study of organizational behavior. Also, they are natural expressions and managers should not try to completely control the employees’ emotions, but they should be aware of the emotions and not ignore emotional indicators.

Implications for Managers (2 of 2)

In the service sector, encourage positive displays of emotion, which make customers feel more positive and thus improve customer service interactions and negotiations

Understand the role of emotions and moods to significantly improve your ability to explain and predict your coworkers’ and employees’ behavior

The more you understand the emotions of your employees, the better you will be able to predict their behavior.