1. Workplace Emotions, Attitudes, and Stress
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2. Positive Attitudes at Clydesdale Bank
By giving its contact centre employees more positive experiences at work, Clydesdale Bank (a division of National Australia Bank) has reduced absenteeism and turnover while significantly improving customer satisfaction.
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3. © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved
Emotions Defined
Psychological, behavioural, and physiological episodes experienced toward an object, person, or event that create a state of readiness
Most emotions occur without our awareness
Moods – lower intensity emotions without any specific target source
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4. © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved
Types of Emotions
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5. © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved
Attitudes vs. Emotions
Attitudes
Emotions
Judgements about an attitude object
Experiences related to an attitude object
Based mainly on rational logic
Based on innate and learned responses to environment
Usually stable for days or longer
Usually experienced for seconds or less
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6. Traditional Model of Attitudes
Purely cognitive approach
Beliefs – established perceptions of attitude object
Feelings – calculation of good or bad based on beliefs about the attitude object
Behavioural intentions – motivation to act in response to the attitude object
Problem: ignores important role of emotions in shaping attitudes
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7. Attitudes: From Beliefs to Behavior
Perceived Environment
Attitude
Feelings
Beliefs
Behavioural
Intentions
Cognitive process
Emotional process
Emotional Episodes
Behaviour
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8. Emotions, Attitudes, and Behaviour
How emotions influence attitudes:
Feelings are shaped by cumulative emotional episodes (not just evaluation of beliefs)
We ‘listen in’ on our emotions when determining our attitude toward something
Potential conflict between cognitive and emotional processes
Emotions also directly affect behaviour
eg. facial expression
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9. Positive Emotions at Mott MacDonald
To attract and keep talented employees, companies are finding creative ways to generate positive emotions in the workplace. Employees at Mott MacDonald have plenty of fun. For example, the Abu Dhabi oil and gas team has an annual desert safari, complete with camel rides (see photo).
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10. 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.
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11. © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved
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
can’t be undone
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12. 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
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13. Emotional Labour 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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14. Emotional Labour Challenges
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
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15. Emotional Intelligence Defined
Ability 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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16. Model of Emotional Intelligence
Relationship management
Managing other people’s emotions
Highest
Social awareness
Perceiving and understanding the meaning of others’ emotions
Self-management
Managing our own emotions
Self-awareness
Perceiving and understanding the meaning of your own emotions
Lowest
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17. Emotional Intelligence Competencies
Self
(personal competence)
Other
(social competence)
Self-awareness
Social awareness
Recognition of emotions
Self-management
Relationship management
Regulation of emotions
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18. Improving Emotional Intelligence
Emotional intelligence is a set of competencies (aptitudes, skills)
Can be learned, especially through coaching
EI increases with age – maturity
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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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20. EVLN: Responses to Dissatisfaction
Exit
• Leaving the situation
• Quitting, transferring
Voice
• Changing the situation
• Problem solving, complaining
Loyalty
• Patiently waiting for the situation to improve
Neglect
• Reducing work effort/quality
• Increasing absenteeism
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21. Job Satisfaction and Performance
Happy workers are somewhat more productive workers, but:
General attitude is a poor predictor of specific behaviours
Job performance affects satisfaction only when rewarded
Effect on performance strongest in complex jobs because of greater employee influence on job performance (eg. limited in assembly lines)
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22. Happy Staff = Happy Customers at Wegmans
American food retailer Wegmans Food Markets enjoys strong customer loyalty and low employee turnover by keeping employees happy.
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23. 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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24. 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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25. Building (Affective) Commitment
Justice/ support
• Apply humanitarian values
• Support employee wellbeing
Shared
values
• Values congruence
Trust
• Employees trust org leaders
• Job security supports trust
Organisational comprehension
• Know firm’s past/present/future
• Open and rapid communication
Employee
involvement
• Employees feel part of company
• Involvement demonstrates trust
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26. © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved
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 vs. distress
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27. General Adaptation Syndrome
Stage 1
Alarm reaction
Stage 2
Resistance
Stage 3
Exhaustion
Normal
level of
resistance
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28. Consequences of Distress
Physiological
Cardiovascular disease, hypertension, headaches
Behavioural
Work performance, accidents, absenteeism, aggression, poor decisions
Psychological
Dissatisfaction, moodiness, depression, emotional fatigue
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29. Job Burnout Process Interpersonal and role-related stressors Emotional
exhaustion
Physiological,
psychological,
and behavioural
consequences
Cynicism
Reduced personal accomplishment
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30. © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved
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
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31. 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.
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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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33. Work Overload and Task Control Stressors
Work Overload Stressor
Working more hours, more intensely than one can cope
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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34. 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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35. Work-Life Balance at MH Australia
McGraw-Hill has won several awards for managing employee stress through work-life balance initiatives. For example, McGraw-Hill Australia executive Matthew Coxhill (see photo) works mainly from his home in regional Australia and has time off from his job to continue his other vocations as a professional trainer and mediator.
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36. Managing Work-Related Stress
Remove the stressor
Minimise/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
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37. Workplace Emotions, Attitudes, and Stress
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