Mgt 4310 Cognition and Emotion: Dissonance and Emotional Labour

Dissonance  The state of inconsistency of beliefs (or emotions) so uncomfortable that people strive to reduce the conflict in the easiest way possible Changing cognitions/beliefs to match behaviour

Dissonance Reduction  To reduce/remove inconsistencies between one’s behaviour and one’s thinking To defend one’s ego and keep a positive self- image  Self-justification

Situations invoking the need for Dissonance Reduction  Intensifying commitment to the course of action Failed attempts to change an action – quitting smoking Difficulty to gain entry – getting a highly desired job that turns out to be to be something less than expected Inconsistency in self-perception – cheating, lying, acting immorally Voluntarily engaging in an undesirable activity (especially if under-rewarded for participation)

Dissonance less likely when:  The person acted in good faith  The individual has low self-esteem

Emotional Labour  work that is relational and involves the manipulation and expression of emotions  the management of feelings to create a publicly observable facial and bodily display for a wage Many work roles call for the suppression of emotions or the expression of false emotions

A Continuum of Emotional Expression in order to satisfy Role Expectations  Control Moves – intentional effort to create expressions that may improve one’s situation if gleaned by the observer  Positive Negative  Esteem Esteem enhancing Degrading

Sources of Role Expectations  Organizationally specified emotional display rules – organizations may require emotional regulation as part of the job Select, socialize and reward for the correct emotion To create emotional contagion – changing customer mood states  Emotional transactions – the sequence of display and adjustment of emotional display based upon target reactions

Outcomes  Positive Organizational gains  Immediate gains - Immediate sale  Encore gains - repeat customers  Contagion gains – positive word of mouth Individual gains  Tips, commissions, pay increases, promotions  Emotional harmony – a sense of well-being

Outcomes  Negative Jobs that require high emotional display are often society’s worst paid Emotional Deviance – acting against norms and consistent with one’s self Emotional well being is at risk – faking unfelt emotions and suppressing inappropriate emotions  Loss of emotional control  Emotional Dissonance  Burnout – emotional exhaustion (dulling of one’s inner signals of emotion) and depersonalization (inability to cope with the emotions of others – seeing others as objects)