Processes of Emotion and Stress in the Workplace

Processes of Emotion and Processes of Emotion and Stress in the WorkplaceStress in the Workplace

Thinking Thinking andand Feeling Feeling

Emotion in the WorkplaceEmotion in the Workplace

Traditional ApproachTraditional Approach

Human Resources / Human RelationsHuman Resources / Human Relations

EmotionEmotion

Organizational life is typically governed by Organizational life is typically governed by logic and rationalitylogic and rationality

Since the 1990s, more attention has been Since the 1990s, more attention has been paid to emotion in the workplace.paid to emotion in the workplace.– Stress and BurnoutStress and Burnout

Emotion in the WestEmotion in the West

Privilege of rationalityPrivilege of rationality– Need to “think on your feet”Need to “think on your feet”– Cost-benefit analysisCost-benefit analysis– ““Keep emotion out of it”Keep emotion out of it”– Scientific MethodScientific Method

Separate spaces for emotional expressionSeparate spaces for emotional expression

Feeling at WorkFeeling at Work

Individual experienceIndividual experience– Emotional LaborEmotional Labor– Stress & BurnoutStress & Burnout

Relational experienceRelational experience

Individual Experience- Emotional Individual Experience- Emotional LaborLabor

Genuine & managed emotionsGenuine & managed emotions– ““Service with a smile”Service with a smile”

Emotional laborEmotional laborSurface Acting: Displaying an emotion for the sake of Surface Acting: Displaying an emotion for the sake of the job (i.e. servers in a restaurant smiling at the the job (i.e. servers in a restaurant smiling at the customer)customer)

Deep Acting: Displaying an emotion on the job that Deep Acting: Displaying an emotion on the job that one does not feel internally. This can lead to emotional one does not feel internally. This can lead to emotional dissonance.dissonance.

Implications of Emotional LaborImplications of Emotional Labor

Commodification of emotionsCommodification of emotions

Feeling rulesFeeling rules– ProfessionalismProfessionalism

Mind-body dualismMind-body dualism

Bounded EmotionalityBounded Emotionality An alternative mode of organizing in which An alternative mode of organizing in which

nurturance, caring, community, supportiveness & nurturance, caring, community, supportiveness & interrelatedness are fused with individual interrelatedness are fused with individual responsibility to shape organizational experiences responsibility to shape organizational experiences (Mumby & Putnam, 1992)(Mumby & Putnam, 1992)

Challenges to bounded rationality & emotional Challenges to bounded rationality & emotional laborlabor– Mind-body dualismMind-body dualism– Devaluation of physical laborDevaluation of physical labor– Co-optation of emotional experienceCo-optation of emotional experience

Bounded Rationality & Bounded EmotionalityBounded Rationality & Bounded Emotionality

Organizational Organizational limitationslimitations

Reduction of ambiguityReduction of ambiguity Hierarchy – Means-Hierarchy – Means-

end chainend chain Mind-body dualismMind-body dualism Fragmented laborFragmented labor Gendered & Gendered &

occupational feeling occupational feeling rulesrules

Intersubjective Intersubjective limitationslimitations

Tolerance of ambiguityTolerance of ambiguity Heterarchy of goals & Heterarchy of goals &

valuesvalues Integrated self-identityIntegrated self-identity CommunityCommunity Relational feeling rulesRelational feeling rules

Relational Experience-Feeling at Relational Experience-Feeling at WorkWork

Emotion as Part of Workplace RelationshipsEmotion as Part of Workplace Relationships– Workplace bullyingWorkplace bullying– Tension between public and privateTension between public and private– Emotional “buzzing”Emotional “buzzing”– Conflicting allegiances Conflicting allegiances

Emotion Rules & Emotional Intelligence Emotion Rules & Emotional Intelligence – Knowing when and how to implement a particular emotional response Knowing when and how to implement a particular emotional response

in a given situationin a given situation

Stress & BurnoutStress & Burnout

Stress, Burnout, & Social SupportStress, Burnout, & Social Support

Stress: stressors create strain on the Stress: stressors create strain on the individual (burnout), which can lead to individual (burnout), which can lead to negative psychological, physiological, & negative psychological, physiological, & organizational outcomesorganizational outcomes

StressorsStressors

WorkloadWorkload Role conflictRole conflict Role ambiguityRole ambiguity Stressors outside the workplaceStressors outside the workplace CommunicationCommunication Emotional laborEmotional labor

BurnoutBurnout

Emotional exhaustionEmotional exhaustion Lack of personal accomplishmentLack of personal accomplishment DepersonalizationDepersonalization

Outcomes of BurnoutOutcomes of Burnout

Physiological—Stroke, Heart Attack, High Physiological—Stroke, Heart Attack, High Blood PressureBlood Pressure

Attitudinal—Sense of depersonalization, Attitudinal—Sense of depersonalization, Feeling a lack of accomplishmentFeeling a lack of accomplishment

Organizational—Absenteeism, TurnoverOrganizational—Absenteeism, Turnover

Empathy, Communication and BurnoutEmpathy, Communication and Burnout

Research conducted on human service work (e.g. Research conducted on human service work (e.g. healthcare, social work, teaching)healthcare, social work, teaching)

““People oriented” careers feel a high degree of People oriented” careers feel a high degree of empathy for others.empathy for others.

Two kinds of empathy:Two kinds of empathy:– Emotional contagion (parallel feelings towards how others Emotional contagion (parallel feelings towards how others

are feeling)are feeling)– Empathic concern (nonparallel emotional response)Empathic concern (nonparallel emotional response)

Emotional contagion= hinders communication (i.e. Emotional contagion= hinders communication (i.e. emotional exhaustion)emotional exhaustion)

Empathic concern=helps communicationEmpathic concern=helps communication

Coping with BurnoutCoping with Burnout

Problem-focused copingProblem-focused coping

Appraisal-focused copingAppraisal-focused coping

Emotion-centered copingEmotion-centered coping

Social supportSocial support

Burning OutBurning Out

Mary goes home late in the evening after a Mary goes home late in the evening after a long day of work time after time. Her work long day of work time after time. Her work as a nurse at the health clinic is beginning to as a nurse at the health clinic is beginning to take its toll on her. Her health is worsening, take its toll on her. Her health is worsening, her sleep is fitful, and her fuse is short. her sleep is fitful, and her fuse is short. Sure, she wants to stay with her clinic, but Sure, she wants to stay with her clinic, but she is not sure how many more non-stop she is not sure how many more non-stop days she can take.days she can take.

How can Mary Cope?How can Mary Cope?

Problem-focusedProblem-focused Work with supervisor Work with supervisor to reduce hoursto reduce hours

Delegate workDelegate work Work with colleagues Work with colleagues

to schedule breaksto schedule breaks


Emotion-focusedEmotion-focused Seek counselingSeek counseling

Relaxation-techniquesRelaxation-techniques


Appraisal-focusedAppraisal-focused Reframe as helping Reframe as helping people outpeople out

Think of herself as a Think of herself as a rare breed of civil rare breed of civil servantservant

Social Support & CopingSocial Support & CopingEmotionalEmotional InformationalInformational InstrumentalInstrumental

SupervisorsSupervisors

Co-WorkersCo-Workers

Friends & Friends & FamilyFamily

Documents

Processes of Emotion and Stress in the Workplace