1.
Workplace Emotions
1.1 Emotions
Emotion
- Physiological, behavioural, and psychological episodes toward an object, person, or event that create a
state of readiness.
- Episodes are brief events = subside or come in waves lasting from milliseconds to a few minutes.
Components of Emotion
1. Physiological state = Changes in the body (e.g., blood pressure, heart rate).
2. Psychological state = Thought processes, interpretation, and mental framing of the situation.
3. Behavioural responses = Outward expressions (e.g., facial expressions, body language, tone of voice).
Key Insights of Emotion
1.1.1 Types of Emotions
Circumplex Model of Emotions
1. Activation (arousal level)
o ranges from low (calm, relaxed) to high (excited, agitated).
2. Evaluation (core affect)
o ranges from negative (unpleasant, harmful, avoid) to positive (pleasant, helpful, approach)
Core Ideas
- Emotions are evaluations of situations:
o Good vs. bad
o Helpful vs. harmful
o Positive vs. negative
- Valence asymmetry:
o Negative emotions usually trigger stronger activation than positive ones.
o This is adaptive — stronger negative emotions prepare us to quickly respond to threats.
1.2 Attitudes
Attitude
- Clusters of beliefs, assessed feelings, and behavioural intentions toward a person, object, or event
(called the attitude object)
3 components of Attitude
1. Belief = Established perceptions about the attitude object (my boss is supportive)
2. Feeling = Evaluated positive or negative emotions attached to the belief. (Feel happy for supportive boss)
3. Behavioural intention = Motivation to act in a certain way toward the object. (Choose to stay in company)
1.2.1 Differences between Attitude and Emotions
1.3 Model of Emotions, Attitudes, and Behaviours
1.3.1 Relationships between Emotions, Attitudes, and Behaviour
1.4 Cognitive Dissonance
Cognitive Dissonance
- state of anxiety or discomfort that arises when a person’s beliefs, feelings, and behaviours are
inconsistent with each other.
- Example: Believing smoking is unhealthy but continuing to smoke
How People Reduce Cognitive Dissonance
1. Amplify or discover additional positive features of the chosen alternative
- Justifying the choice by focusing on its benefits.
- Example: “this job pays less, but it gives me more work-life balance”
2. amplify or discover additional problems or weaknesses of the alternatives not chosen
- Downgrading the options you didn’t pick.
- Example: “That other job might pay more, but the commute would be terrible”
3. Reframe the situation
- Changing how you think about the decision to reduce the conflict.
- Example: “It’s not really about the money; it’s about doing meaningful work”
1.5 Emotions are partly determined by personality
2. Managing Emotions at Work
2.1 Emotional Labour
Emotional Labor
- The effort, planning and control needed to express organizationally desired emotions during
interpersonal transactions.
- Example: A customer service representative staying cheerful even when dealing with a rude customer.
Display Rules – Norms or explicit rules that require employees to
1. Display behaviours representing specific emotions.
2. Hide observable evidence of other emotions.
- Example: Hide observable evidence of other emotions.
Factors Increasing Emotional Labor
1. Frequency & Duration = Jobs that require emotions to be displayed often or for long periods.
2. Variety of Emotions = Jobs that demand switching between different emotions frequently.
3. Intensity of Emotions = Jobs that require strong or exaggerated emotional expressions.
2.2 Emotional display norms across cultures
Culture that discourages emotional expression = Asia countries + Africa
Cultures that encourage emotional expression through voice and gestures = Latin + Middle east
2.3 Strategies for displaying expected emotions
1. Surface Acting
- Pretending to feel the expected emotions by consciously displaying behaviours associated with them.
- Example: Smiling at a customer even when feeling frustrated.
- Focus: Outward expression, not internal feelings.
2. Deep Acting
- Actively modifying internal perceptions or appraisals so that the expected emotions arise naturally.
- Example: Reframing a rude customer’s behaviour as a stressful situation unrelated to oneself, which
produces genuine patience and empathy.
- Focus: Internal emotional experience, not just outward display.
Five Strategies to Regulate Emotions
1. Change the situation = Avoid situations that trigger unwanted emotions.
2. Modify the existing situation = Alter aspects of the current environment to reduce negative emotions.
3. Suppress or amplify emotions = Consciously hide, reduce, or exaggerate emotional expressions.
4. Change the focus of attention = Direct attention away from emotional trigger or onto positive aspects.
5. Reframe the situation = Reinterpret the situation to see it in a more positive or neutral light.
3. Emotional Intelligence
3.1 Emotional intelligence
Emotional Intelligence
- ability to perceive, understand, manage, and use emotions effectively in oneself and others.
3.2 Benefits of High EI
1. More effective team members
- Better at collaboration, conflict resolution, and understanding others’ emotions.
2. Perform better in jobs requiring emotional labour
- Can manage and display emotions authentically with less stress.
3. Make better decisions involving other people
- Consider emotional cues and social context in decision-making.
4. Maintain a positive mindset for creative work
- Regulate emotions to stay motivated, resilient, and open-minded.
5. More effective leadership
- Inspire, motivate, and empathize with team members.
- Adapt communication and influence strategies based on emotional awareness.
3.3 Emotional intelligence Model
4. Work-Related Stress
4.1 Stress Model
4.1.1 Stress
4.1.2 Individual Differences
4.1.3 Stress Management