University of Technology, Jamaica Tutor: Audrey Hastings

College of Business and Management AY 2016-17, Summer

School of Business Administration Date: June, 2017
Organizational Behaviour (MAN2005) Group–
Unit 3– Emotions and Moods

TEST: Week 9

Objectives
1. Differentiate emotions from moods. 5. Discuss the impact emotional labour has on employees.
2. Discuss the different aspects of emotions. 6. Discuss the case for and the case against emotional intelligence.
3. Identify the sources of emotions and moods. 7. Apply concepts of emotions and moods to OB issues.
4. Describe external constraints on emotions. 8. A look at some research findings on emotions and moods
1.0 What is an emotion?

1.1 You have often times heard people say an individual is “too emotional or moody”, is this wrong? Are there
times when emotions are worth expressing?
1.2 At the same time, if you do not express much emotion, people think you are “cold”
1.3 It is not possible to separate an individual from his/her emotions and by intension, to rid the organization of
emotions - Remember you take you with you wherever you go.

1.4 Traditionally, researchers focus on negative emotions such as anger and how its negatively impacts the
organization. Rarely did people study the positives of emotion.

So what are we talking about?

A. Affect - A broad range of feelings that people experience (can be emotions or moods).
B. Emotions - Intense feelings that are directed at someone or something.
Complex human reactions to personal achievement and setbacks that may be felts and displayed (Kinichi &
Kreitner, 2009)
C. Moods - Feelings that tend to be less intense than emotions and that lack a contextual stimulus.
- when emotions are enduring and have no specific object to which the emotion is directed they are called
moods (Kitayayama & Neidenthal, 1994)

1.5 Emotions tend to turn into moods

1.6 So is love an emotion?

1.7 Basic emotions – happiness- surprise,

Fear –sadness-anger-disgust

2.0 Classification of Emotions

Positive - joy etc- expressing a favourable

evaluation of a feeling
Negative – guilt or anger – the opposite

(nonemotional – a neutral state )

2.1 Structure of Emotions

3.0 Sources of Emotions and Moods -

1. Personality 3. NOT Weather 5. Age 7. Sleep 9. Gender
2. Day and Time of the Week 4. Stress 6. Exercise 8. Social Activities
4.0 External Constraints on Emotions - Organizational Influences + Cultural Influences =
Individual Emotions

Compiled by Oswy Gayle

 5.0 Impact of Emotions of Employees Behaviour

Emotional Labor - A situation in which an employee expresses organizationally desired

emotions during interpersonal transactions.
Felt Emotions - An individual’s actual emotions.
Displayed Emotions - Emotions that are organizationally required and considered appropriate in
a given job.
Higher emotional labor = more highly paid jobs (with high cognitive requirements)
6.0 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.

7.0 Emotional Intelligence - Research Findings: High EI scores, not high IQ scores, characterize
high performers.
Emotional Intelligence Behavioural Implication/s
1. Self-awareness (know how you feel)  Better able to control yourself; know what you are
feeling
2. Self-management (manage your emotions and  For example, you might be feeling mad, but in front of a
impulses) customer, you refuse to show the frustration; or just blurt
out a negative comment without any regard for others
around you
3. Self-motivation (can motivate yourself &  The ability to stand pressure to a point without
persist) loosing control and still be motivated despite
setbacks and failures
4. Empathy (sense & understand what others feel)  Some jobs require you to be tolerant and understand
from the other person’s perspective
5. Social Skills (can handle the emotions of  The ability to read social cues and respond in various
others) situations without upsetting people

8.0 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.
Interpersonal Conflict Conflict in the workplace and individual emotions are strongly
intertwined.
Negotiation Emotions can impair 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
9.0 Practical Research Findings (Kinichi & Kreitner, 2009, Orgaizational Behaviour, Key concepts, skills
and best practices)
Emotional Contagion – catching of  A Teller who expressed more positive emotions
another person’s bad mood – Recent study tended to have more satisfied customers
of 131 Bank tellers, 92% females and 220  Strong links between a group’s collective mood
exit interviews with customer. and individual mood
Emotional Labour Can be detrimental to the employee performing the labour
and can take its toll both physically and psychologically
(bottled up resentment, anger, frustration)
10.0 So What? It is difficult if not impossible to separate a person from his/her emotions and moods.
What can happen though is that we can manage them towards productive outcomes. Emotions and moods impact
hiring decisions, decision-making, leadership, creativity, motivation, negotiation, customer service and job attitudes.
Finally, as we said some weeks ago, “we take ourselves with us wherever we go” and therefore, we must understand
these complex psychological and behavioural aspects of our lives as they do impact the organization in overt and covert
ways.

Compiled by Oswy Gayle