Chapter SEVEN

Emotions
and
Moods

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 Emotions - Why Emotions Were Ignored in OB
The “myth of rationality”
– Organizations are not emotion-free.
Emotions of any kind are disruptive to
organizations.
– Original OB focus was solely on the effects of strong
negative emotions that interfered with individual and
organizational efficiency.

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 What Are Emotions?

Affect
A broad range of feelings
that people experience.

Emotions Moods
Intense feelings that are Feelings that tend to be
directed at someone or less intense than
something. emotions and that lack a
contextual stimulus.

© 2007 Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved.

© 2007 Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved.
 Emotion Dimensions

Biology of emotions
– Originate in brain’s limbic system
Intensity of emotions
– Personality
– Job Requirements
Frequency and duration of emotions
– How often emotions are exhibited
– How long emotions are displayed
Functions of emotions
– Critical for rational thinking
– Motivate people

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 Mood as Positive and Negative Affect

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 SOURCES OF EMOTIONS AND MOODS

Personality
Day and Time of the Week
Weather
Stress
Social Activities
Sleep
Exercise
Age
Gender

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 Positive Moods are
Highest
• At the End of the
Week
• In the Middle Part
of the Day

Negative Moods are

Highest
• At the Beginning
of the Week
And, show little
variation throughout
the day

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 Gender and Emotions
Women
– Can show greater emotional expression.
– Experience emotions more intensely.
– Display emotions more frequently.
– Are more comfortable in expressing emotions.
– Are better at reading others’ emotions.
Men
– Believe that displaying emotions is inconsistent with
the male image.
– Are innately less able to read and to identify with
others’ emotions.
– Have less need to seek social approval by showing
positive emotions.

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 External Constraints on Emotions

Organizational Cultural
Influences Influences

Individual
Emotions

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 Emotional Labor

Emotional Labor
A situation in which an employee expresses
organizationally desired emotions during
interpersonal transactions.

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 Felt versus Displayed Emotions

Felt Emotions
An individual’s actual emotions.

Displayed Emotions
Emotions that are organizationally
required and considered appropriate
in a given job.

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 Note: Higher
emotional labor =
more highly paid
jobs (with high
cognitive
requirements)

•Internals (Internal locus of control)

Individuals who believe that they
control what happens to them.

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 Affective Events Theory (AET)
Emotions are negative or positive responses to a work
environment event.
– Personality and mood determine the intensity of the
emotional response.
– Emotions can influence a broad range of work performance
and job satisfaction variables.
Implications of the theory:
– Individual response reflects emotions and mood cycles.
– Current and past emotions affect job satisfaction.
– Emotional fluctuations create variations in job satisfaction
and performance.
– Both negative and positive emotions can distract workers
and reduce job performance.

© 2007 Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved.

 Affective Events Theory (AET)

Source: Based on N.M. Ashkanasy and C.S. Daus, “Emotion in the Workplace: The New E X H I B I T 8–6
Challenge for Managers,” Academy of Management Executive, February 2002, p. 77.

© 2007 Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved.

 Emotional Intelligence

Self-awareness (know how you feel)

Self-management (manage your emotions and
impulses)
Self-motivation (can motivate yourself & persist)
Empathy (sense & understand what others feel)
Social Skills (can handle the emotions of others)

Research Findings: High EI scores,

not high IQ scores, characterize high
performers.

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 OB Applications of Understanding Emotions
Emotions and Selection
– Emotions affect employee effectiveness.
Decision Making
– Emotions are an important part of the decision-making
process in organizations.
Creativity
– Positive mood increases creativity
Motivation
– Emotional commitment to work and high motivation
are strongly linked.
Leadership
– Emotions are important to acceptance of messages
from organizational leaders.

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OB Applications… (cont’d)
Interpersonal Conflict
– Conflict in the workplace and individual emotions are
strongly intertwined.
Negotiation
– Emotions can impair or damage negotiations.
Customer Services
– Emotions affect service quality delivered to customers which,
in turn, affects customer relationships.
Job Attitudes
– Can carry over to home
Deviant Workplace Behaviors
– Negative emotions lead to employee deviance (actions that
violate norms and threaten the organization).
• Productivity failures
• Property theft and destruction
• Political actions
• Personal aggression

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 Chapter Check-Up: Emotions
and Moods
Lucy has a high need for achievement
and likes to come to work and focus
on her job only. If you were Lucy’s
manager, how could you get her to
feel more emotion at work? Would
you want her to? Why or why not?
Discuss with a classmate.

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 Chapter Check-Up: Emotions
and Moods

Discuss with your neighbor how

low positive affect is the same or
different as high negative affect.

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 Chapter Check-Up: Emotions
and Moods
Roberto comes to class and sits quietly
looking content and relaxed. The
teacher is guessing that Roberto is

Low on negative affect

High on positive affect
High on negative affect
Low on positive affect

Discuss with a neighbor why Roberto, who

is seemingly happy but calm, isn’t just low
on positive affect.
© 2007 Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved.
 Chapter Check-Up: Emotions
and Moods
Do you think there could be emotional and
mood implications for telecommuting? If yes,
how so? Discuss with a classmate.

Hint: Consider this

woman!

Why might she

NOT always
feel this way?

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 Thank You!
☺
© 2007 Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved.