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Emotions and Stress

CHAPTER

4
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Learning Objectives
In this chapter, you will:

Understand what emotions are. Understand what emotional labour is. Explain the emotional dimensions. Learn about gender and emotions. Learn about stress. Understand stress and its consequences. Learn how to manage stress.
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4.1

What are Emotions?

 People tend to mix the word of emotion with affect and moods.  Intercross with affect and moods.  Moods and emotions are under the category of affect.  Different from affect, emotion is an intense feeling that is directed to someone or something.  Lastly, moods are feelings that tend to be less intense than emotions which lack a contextual stimulus.
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4.2

Emotional Labour

 Ability to feel different emotions at the same time makes us a unique creature.  Emotional labour is usually described as a situation in which an employee expresses emotions which are relevant to organizational context during their interpersonal transactions.  Employees must be able to analyse their job description to ensure that the emotions portrayed are suitable according to their job requirement.
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4.3

Felt vs. Displayed Emotions

 Felt emotions are the kind of emotions which we truly feel.  Displayed emotions are the type of emotions that we must show according to job requirement and company policy. For example, while handling a customer at the front office:
 You must have a happy and smiley face.  Your tone of voice must be softer than customer.
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4.4
 Variety

Dimensions of Emotions

 Intensity  Frequency and duration

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4.4.1

Variety

 Example: anger, sadness, joy, hate, pride and others.  Since there are many types of emotions, researchers have classified it into two categories:  Positive emotions  Negative emotions.

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4.4.2

Intensity

 Different people will also portray different levels of emotions.  Depends on situations.

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4.4.3

Frequency and Duration

 Emotions will last according to ones feeling about something.

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4.5

Gender and Emotions

 People always associate women of being more emotional than men.  Modern psychological researches indicate that men and women possess different skills related to the sending and receiving of emotions.
 Women tend to express emotion through facial expression and interpersonal communication.  Men generally express emotion through actions, such as engaging in aggressive, dangerous or distracting behaviour.
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4.6

External Constraints on Emotions

 Different jobs require different types of emotional labour.  Organization and culture will have their own influences towards emotions.

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4.6.1

Organizational Influences

 Although the organization does not have a documented file in explaining types of emotion that the future employees are suppose to have, but they will be matched according to the nature of the job.  Cultures also have its own influences towards emotion.

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4.7

OB Application

OB application:  Ability and selection  Decision making  Motivation  Leadership  Interpersonal conflict  Deviant workplace behaviours

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4.7.1

Ability and Selection

 Employee can become more effective once they are able to understand their own emotions as well as others.  At the workplace, employees are encouraged to cope with all the pressure and demands.  This ability is referred to as emotional intelligence.
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Emotional Intelligence
 Emotional intelligence is identified as an assortment of cognitive skills, capabilities and competencies that influence a persons ability to succeed in coping with the pressure and demand which are derived from the workplace.

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4.7.2

Decision Making

 People tend to make different decisions when they are in different emotions.  No doubt, negative emotions can lead to less effective decision whereas positive emotions tend to make us more rational in making any decision.

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4.7.3

Motivation

 Overall motivation theories conclude that we tend to be highly motivated when we are determined towards achieving something.

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4.7.4

Leadership

One is referred to as a leader when there are followers. Effective leaders must be able to demonstrate their ability in understanding the followers needs. Although others might think that they actually made a mistake, the followers will think differently.
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4.7.5

Interpersonal Conflict

 Issues of conflict and emotions are always intertwined.  In many situations, when the conflict arises between two parties, it will involve different kinds of emotions and sometimes it will also involve many emotions at one time.

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4.7.6

Workplace Issues in Relation to Emotions

Deviant workplace behaviours  Sexual harassment  Intentionally working slowly  Sabotage  More aggressive  Involve with theft  Blaming co-workers
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4.8

What is Stress?

 Stress is an imprecise term.  Usually this term is defined in terms of the internal and external conditions that are able to create a stressful environment.  Symptoms that an individual is facing.  Stress can be defined as a psychological and physical reaction to prolonged internal and/or environmental conditions which are more than the individuals adaptive capabilities.
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4.9

Understanding Stress and Its Consequences

 Since stress is the reaction of individuals to a new or threatening factor in their working environment, it has certain impact on the individuals.  Personal life perspective  Health perspective  Organizational perspective

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4.10
       

Potential Sources of Stress

The environment factors The organization factors Relationship among colleagues Own characteristics Individual differences Perception Job experience Social support
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4.11

Consequences of Stress

 Physiological symptoms  Psychological symptoms  Behavioural symptoms

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4.12

Nature of Stress

 Stressors are additive.  Environmental influence it:

 Long-term effect  Short-term effect.

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4.13
Perception

Stress Moderators
Examples

Stress moderators

When a company announces to use voluntary separation scheme to reduce the number of employees, Ahmad sees it as an opportunity for him to start a business after receiving huge amount of money, but Muthu sees it as a threat of being laid off. Muthu now is in a stressful situation whereas Ahmad already starts to fill up the VSS forms. Ali and Ah Thong have been with Company A for 20 years, now Ali has learned all the techniques to cope with stress because he personally knows almost all the other employees. On the other hand, Ah Thong, after 20 years starts to feel bored and unmotivated to be in the office.
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Job experience

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4.13
Social support

Stress Moderators (cont.)

Examples

Stress moderators

Belief in locus of control

Self-efficacy

Hostility

Although Nancy is an American and had just arrived 2 days ago in Malaysia, she does not feel lonely and isolated because her Malaysian co-workers are friendly towards her. Ali is an external locus of control believer. He also thinks life is a result of what is meant to be to him and he has no control over his life. As a result, he feels so stressed. Siti is a person who values her life every day. She sees her problem from the positive side and always thinks well about her life. Shah always feels uncertain about his life. This makes him angry easily. As a result, it increases his stress level.
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4.14

Managing Stress

 Individual perspective  Organizational perspective

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4.14.1 Individual Perspective

Strategies Time managing techniques Examples Making to-do list Prioritizing daily activities Scheduling Highlighting your personal time ability Jogging Sports Detach from the work for a while Make more friends Mingle with more people
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Increase physical exercise Relaxation Social support network

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Review Questions

1. What are emotions? 2. What is your understanding of emotional labour? 3. How would you explain the emotional dimensions? 4. What is the relationship between gender and emotions? 5. Can you explain stress? 6. Explain stress and its consequences. 7. How do you manage stress?
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