Workplace emotions, attitudes

and stress

Chapter 4

4-2Copyright © 2013 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty LtdMcShane, Olekalns, Travaglione, Organisational Behaviour, 4e

Learning Objectives4.1 Explain how emotions and cognition (logical

thinking) influence attitudes and behaviour

4.2 Discuss the dynamics of emotional labour and the role of emotional intelligence in the workplace

4.3 Summarise the consequences of job dissatisfaction, as well as strategies to increase organisational (affective) commitment

4.4 Describe the stress experience and review three major stressors

4.5 Identify five ways to manage workplace stress

4-3Copyright © 2013 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty LtdMcShane, Olekalns, Travaglione, Organisational Behaviour, 4e

Positive Attitudes at Rio Tinto

Rio Tinto values the health and wellbeing of its staff and the communities in which they work and live. Human resources are the company’s most important asset, and Rio Tinto invests significantly in initiatives that help its staff to achieve and maintain a high quality of life

4-4Copyright © 2013 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty LtdMcShane, Olekalns, Travaglione, Organisational Behaviour, 4e

Emotions Defined• Psychological, behavioural and physiological

episodes experienced toward an object, person or event that create a state of readiness

• Emotions are experiences. They represent changes in our physiological state, psychological state and behaviour

• Emotions put us in a state of readiness

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Types of Emotions

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Attitudes: From Beliefs to Behaviour

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Emotions, Attitudes and Behaviour• Attitudes represent the cluster of beliefs,

assessed feelings and behavioural intentions towards a person, object or event (called an attitude object):– Beliefs are established perceptions about the

attitude object– Feelings represent positive or negative

evaluations of the attitude object– Behavioural intentions represent motivation to

engage in a particular behaviour regarding the attitude object

4-8Copyright © 2013 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty LtdMcShane, Olekalns, Travaglione, Organisational Behaviour, 4e

Positive Emotions at ING Direct AustraliaTo attract and keep talented employees, companies are finding creative ways to generate positive emotions in the workplace. Employees at ING have plenty of fun with the annual WOW day (see photo)

4-9Copyright © 2013 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty LtdMcShane, Olekalns, Travaglione, Organisational Behaviour, 4e

Generating Positive Emotions at Work• The emotions–

attitudes–behaviour model illustrates that attitudes are shaped by ongoing emotional experiences

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

4-10Copyright © 2013 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty LtdMcShane, Olekalns, Travaglione, Organisational Behaviour, 4e

Cognitive Dissonance• A state of anxiety that occurs when an

individual’s beliefs, feelings and behaviours are inconsistent with one another

• Most common when behaviour is:– Known to others– Done voluntarily– Cannot be undone

4-11Copyright © 2013 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty LtdMcShane, Olekalns, Travaglione, Organisational Behaviour, 4e

Emotions and Personality• Emotions are also partly determined by a

person’s personality, not just workplace experiences

• Some people, especially extroverts, experience positive emotions as a natural trait

• Positive and negative emotional traits affect a person’s attendance, turnover and long-term work attitudes

4-12Copyright © 2013 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty LtdMcShane, Olekalns, Travaglione, Organisational Behaviour, 4e

Emotional Labour Defined• Effort, planning and control needed to

express organisationally desired emotions during interpersonal transactions

• Emotional labour is higher when the job requires:– Frequent and long duration display of emotions– Displaying a variety of emotions– Displaying more intense emotions

4-13Copyright © 2013 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty LtdMcShane, Olekalns, Travaglione, Organisational Behaviour, 4e

Emotional Display Norms Across Cultures• Displaying or hiding emotions varies across

cultures:– Minimal emotional expression and monotonic

voice in Korea, Japan, Austria– Emotional expression encouraged in Kuwait,

Egypt, Spain, Russia

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Emotional Dissonance• It is difficult to display expected emotions

accurately, and to hide true emotions• Emotional dissonance

– Conflict between true and required emotions– Potentially stressful with surface acting– Less stress through deep acting

4-15Copyright © 2013 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty LtdMcShane, Olekalns, Travaglione, Organisational Behaviour, 4e

Emotional Intelligence (EI)

• A set of abilities 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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Emotional Intelligence Competencies

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Social awareness

Self-management

Perceiving and understanding the meaning of others’ emotions

Managing our own emotions

Self-awareness Perceiving and understanding the meaning of your own emotions

Relationship management

Managing other people’s emotions

Lowest

Highest

Model of Emotional Intelligence

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Improving Emotional Intelligence• EI is associated with some personality traits,

as well as with parental EI• EI now becomes a selection criteria • Can be learned, especially through coaching• EI increases with age and maturity

4-19Copyright © 2013 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty LtdMcShane, Olekalns, Travaglione, Organisational Behaviour, 4e

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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Loyalty

Voice

Exit

Neglect

• Leaving the situation• Quitting, transferring

• Changing the situation• Problem solving, complaining

• Patiently waiting for the situation to improve

• Reducing work effort/quality• Increasing absenteeism

EVLN: Responses to Dissatisfaction

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Job Satisfaction and Performance• Happy workers are somewhat more

productive workers, however:– General attitude is a poor predictor of specific

behaviours– Job performance affects satisfaction only when

rewarded– Effect on performance is strongest in complex

jobs because of greater employee influence on job performance (e.g. limited in assembly lines)

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Employees First, Customers Second at Clydesdale Bank NAB’s Clydesdale Bank treats employees well so that they treat customers well. They listen to and act on employee concerns, spruce up the work environment, introduce career development programs, provide better coaching and give staff more freedom to decide how to serve clients

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Job Satisfaction and Customers• Job satisfaction increases

customer satisfaction and profitability because:– Job satisfaction affects

mood, leading to positive behaviours toward customers

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

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Job Satisfaction and Customers

Service profit chain model is a theory explaining how employees’ job satisfaction influences company profitability indirectly through service quality, customer loyalty and related factors

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Job Satisfaction and Business Ethics• Job satisfaction is also an ethical issue that

influences the organisation’s reputation in the community

• Societies now expect companies to provide work environments that are safe and enjoyable

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Organisational Commitment• Affective commitment

– Emotional attachment to, identification with and involvement in an organisation

• Continuance commitment– Calculative attachment: stay because too costly to

quit

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Consequences of Affective and Continuance Commitment• Organisational (affective) commitment can

affect retention, motivation, organisational citizenship and job performance as well as customer satisfaction. However, can lead to conformity and less creativity

• Continuance commitment can be dysfunctional and lead to lower performance and less organisational citizenship behaviours

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Building (Affective) Commitment

Sharedvalues

Sharedvalues • Values congruence• Values congruence

Justice/ supportJustice/ support

• Apply humanitarian values• Support employee wellbeing

EmployeeinvolvementEmployee

involvement• Employees feel part of company• Involvement demonstrates trust

Organisationalcomprehensio

n

Organisationalcomprehensio

n

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

TrustTrust • Employees trust org leaders• Job security supports trust

• Employees trust org leaders• Job security supports trust

4-29Copyright © 2013 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty LtdMcShane, Olekalns, Travaglione, Organisational Behaviour, 4e

What is Stress?• An adaptive response to a situation that is

perceived as challenging or threatening to the person’s wellbeing

• A physiological and psychological condition that prepares us to adapt to hostile or noxious environmental conditions

• Eustress versus distress

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General Adaptation Syndrome

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Consequences of Distress

BehaviouralBehavioural Work performance, accidents, absenteeism, aggression, poor decisions

Work performance, accidents, absenteeism, aggression, poor decisions

PhysiologicalPhysiologicalCardiovascular disease, hypertension, headaches

PsychologicalPsychological Dissatisfaction, moodiness, depression, emotional fatigue, burnout

Dissatisfaction, moodiness, depression, emotional fatigue, burnout

4-32Copyright © 2013 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty LtdMcShane, Olekalns, Travaglione, Organisational Behaviour, 4e

Cynicism

Reduced personal accomplishment

Physiological,psychological

and behaviouralconsequences

Emotionalexhaustion

Interpersonal androle-related stressors

Job Burnout Process

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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 and incivility– Work overload– Low task control

4-34Copyright © 2013 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty LtdMcShane, Olekalns, Travaglione, Organisational Behaviour, 4e

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

4-35Copyright © 2013 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty LtdMcShane, Olekalns, Travaglione, Organisational Behaviour, 4e

Sexual Harassment• Unwelcome conduct—detrimental effect on

work environment or job performance• 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 with

– Affected by globalisation, consumerism, ideal worker norm

• Task control stressor– Due to lack of 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

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Work-Life Balance at Pumpkin Patch

• At Pumpkin Patch, the children’s-wear store, employees get to spend time with their children

• Pumpkin Patch rewards loyalty and long service, and families with young children are supported with in-house crèche facilities or childcare subsidies

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Managing Work-Related Stress• Remove the stressor

– Minimise or remove stressors

• Withdraw from the stressor– Vacation, rest breaks

• Change stress perceptions– Positive self-concept, humour

• Control stress consequences– Healthy lifestyle, fitness, wellness

• Receive social support

4-40Copyright © 2013 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty LtdMcShane, Olekalns, Travaglione, Organisational Behaviour, 4e

Summary • Emotions and cognition influence attitudes

and behaviour• Emotional labour and emotional intelligence

have an important role in the workplace • Managers need to strategically increase job

satisfaction and organisational commitment • Stress can be harmful to the employee and

the organisation and needs to be managed by both

Workplace emotions, attitudes

and stress

Chapter 4