Abstract
This analysis reviews emotions in the workplace, how they are managed by both employee
and management, and advantages and disadvantages of emotional management. Affect is a
term that covers a general variety of feelings individuals experience, including emotions
and moods. Emotions are extreme feelings directed at something or someone. Moods are
less extreme feelings than emotions and often tend to develop without a specific event
acting as a catalyst (Robbins, et al., 2015). There are a copious amount of emotions that
individuals feel or have felt in the workplace. These emotions include: anger, enthusiasm,
contempt, fear, envy, disappointment, frustration, disgust, embarrassment, hate, happiness,
jealousy, hope, joy, love, surprise, pride, and sadness. Emotions in the workplace have
been a topic that has been increasing, especially in relation to the employer-employee
relationship. This analysis will provide information on the impact of emotion in the
workplace, the challenges and benefits of emotional management, and how to make an
emotion strategy more effective in the workplace.
Introduction
Throughout the past two decades, substantial developments and progresses have been
made in understanding the role and impact of emotions in the workplace. Emotions in the
workplace have a significant impact on individuals, groups, managers, and the entire
organization. Individual’s emotions, attitudes, and moods in the workplace directly
influence job performance, creativity, teamwork, decision-making, leadership,
negotiations, and turnover (Reeves, 2014). Emotions in the workplace have often been a
taboo topic, with differing opinions on whether it’s acceptable, to what extent, and how it
should be managed. Is it okay to cry at work? This analysis addresses emotions in the
workplace, the impact of how they are handled, and how they affect organizations.
Factors That Make Some Organizations Ineffective at Managing Emotions
Individuals within an organization often differ in culture, background, ideas, and beliefs.
These differences cause employees and managers to have dissimilar emotional reactions to
the same and differing events, thus making it difficult for organizations to effectively
manage emotions. Each employee’s emotions are constantly rapidly changing from day to
day, and moment to moment (Andrieş, 2009).
Another factor that makes managing emotions difficult, is that it is challenging to
distinguish employee’s actual, authentic emotions and acted, fabricated emotions (Andrieş,
2009). Some individuals are less open to sharing their actual emotions, especially when
they don’t feel comfortable in doing so. Showing emotion in the workplace can sometimes
be frowned upon, making it problematic for organizations to know the true state of their
employees and how to best manage them to succeed.
