Learning Objectives

LO 3-1 Describe the basic concept of emotions in the context of organizational behavior.

Emotions are intense feelings directed at a specific object or person. They are numerous and intense but they are usually fleeting and short-lived. Moods are less intense and more gen­eralized feelings not directed at a specific object or person; they last longer than emotions.

Emotions can turn into moods when we lose focus of what caused the feeling in the first place; both good and bad moods can trigger stronger, more intense emotional responses.

LO 3-2 Discuss the various roles of emotions in the workplace.

In the workplace, emotional outbursts could seriously damage your professional reputation as well as your work performance. Emo­tional contagion is a phenomenon in which emotions experienced by a few people of a work group are spread to the others. Emotional labor takes place when in the course of the job service industry employees must display emotions different from those they are actually feeling. Emotional regulation is a set of processes through which people influence their own emotions and the ways in which they experience and express them. Emotional intelligence (EI) is the ability to understand emotions in ourselves and others in order to effectively manage our own behaviors and relationships with others.

LO 3-3 Explain the ways in which attitudes influence behavior in organizations.

An attitude is a learned tendency to consistently respond pos­itively or negatively to people or events. Cognitive appraisal reflects the sum total of a person’s underlying beliefs, opinions, information, and knowledge about a specific object, person, or event. These appraisals lead to affective evaluation, which reflects a person’s attitudes and his or her positive and nega­tive feelings toward a specific object, person, or event. This then leads to the individual’s behavioral intention, the intention to behave in a particular way toward a specific object, person, or event. Attitudes do not necessarily predict behavior; social norms and other behavioral controls may intervene.

LO 3-4 Identify some common workplace attitudes and related outcomes.

Our workplace attitudes are critical in three main areas: job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and employee engage­ment. Job satisfaction is the degree to which an individual feels positive or negative about a job. Organizational commitment is the loyalty of an individual to the organization. Employee engage­ment is a connection with the organization and passion for one’s job. There is a strong relationship between job satisfaction and job performance. Organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs) are discretionary and voluntary behaviors that are not a part of the employee’s specific role requirements and are not formally rewarded.

LO 3-5 Illustrate the ways in which stress can affect behavior in the workplace.

Stress is a response that occurs when a situation is perceived as threatening to a person’s well-being when the person’s resources are taxed or exceeded. Stressors are environmen­tal stimuli that place demands on individuals. The outcomes of stress can be either positive or negative.

LO 3-6 Discuss different outcomes of stress and the benefits of wellness programs.

Eustress is a moderate level of stressors that have constructive and positive effects on effort and performance. In contrast, distress is characterized by high levels of stressors that have destructive and negative effects on effort and performance. Coping is the effort to manage, reduce, or minimize stressors. Problem-focused coping aims at reducing or eliminating stressors by attempting to under­stand the problem, and seeking practical ways in which to resolve it; emotion-focused coping is an effort to try to change our emotional reaction to a stressor by using positive language and distracting techniques. Many organizations offer wellness programs as a way of helping their employees manage stress. A wellness program is a personal or organizational effort to promote health and wellbeing.