Organization Behavior Case Study 4

Chapter IV. Emotions and Moods

Group 2 :
Rose Siana Inge Pratiwi (7311421006)
Rezty Adelia Nur Sabilla (7311421011)
Muhammad Zidan Azmi V. (7311421035)
Islam Khavazevich Mishiev (7311421401)

CASE Study 4 : Performance Review Shock: Being Told How to Feel and Act

You have your annual review meeting with your supervisor today. Given that you met all
your sales goals this year, you were hopeful that this would mean a promotion. During
the meeting, your supervisor praises your work ethic and recognizes that you have been a
valuable asset to the company despite only a two- year tenure. However, your supervisor
ends the meeting with one significant critique to your dismay: You do not seem happy
enough and should smile more. Your supervisor continues, explaining that many of the
senior executives at the company perceive you as unfriendly.

“You just need to work on your EI, that’s all,” your supervisor says. You are so taken
aback by this comment that all you can say is, “Okay . . . I will work on that.” It had not
even occurred to you that your demeanor would be scrutinized or even considered to be
part of your job performance. In fact, as one of the youngest employees at the company,
you had to put a lot of effort into being taken seriously. As a result, you always tried to
act professionally, but now it seems like that may have backfired. The more you think
about it, the more frustrated you become. If you meet or exceed the sales metrics, what
should it matter whether you smile?
Besides, what is EI anyway?

Everyone talks about it in magazines and newspapers. Still, no one can seem to give a
straight answer as to what it means. However, if your “unfriendly” demeanor is the only
thing standing between you and a promotion, perhaps you should try to smile more and
be friendlier when the senior executives are around. But then that might mean people
could take advantage of you, and you are not sure you can try to be something you are
not. It just feels so inauthentic and fake.
Questions:

1. Do you agree that your demeanor at work is important? Do

you think its importance varies across situations, contexts,
and jobs? Explain.

From my point of view demeanor affects work, due to the fact that it creates a certain
vision especially for people whom you meet for the first time. Such an effect can be seen
especially in a sector of hotel and hospitality or any other position which requires
interacting with people. As an example, the unhappy face of the sales manager in the
shop may cause a decrease of sales due to the fact that customers will feel unwelcome
there. To keep a real smile especially during an exhausting working day indeed is
difficult, but such a skill is valuable, and people who spread the positive energy towards
others more often are rewarded and appreciated in a working environment.

2. What role, if any, do you think EI plays in this situation?

This ability helps in building an effective work environment. Emotional intelligence can
best be described as the ability to monitor one's own and other people's emotions, to
discriminate between different emotions and label them appropriately, and to use
emotional information to guide thinking and behavior.

Emotional Intelligence gives an ability to read people's emotions. By reading it the

person who is EI is able to predict other people's behavior and to direct them towards
the estimated/expected result of communication. It plays a significant role in
situations, especially when it is related to sales or problems solving. As an example,
during the failure of a certain working process if the manager will show negative
emotions and offensive behavior the employee will feel less valuable and it will directly
affect the whole working environment as well as the results. In such a situation,
especially when the working team expects punishment, it would be more effective to let
them know that work could be done better in a more delicate way, by pointing to the
good achievements as well.

3. Could the supervisor have done anything differently to help you

understand the feedback and assist you in using it constructively?

The direct way of explaining the situation is obviously the most effective one. However
instead of only pointing to negative sides it would be more effective to provide theoretical
or real existing examples of behavior. Nowadays there is a wide source of literature
available, it also can be reviewed and recommended for increasing qualification. The
field can vary from psychology up to self-growth.
 4. What would you do in this situation, and why?

The direct way of explaining the failure is the easiest one due to the ability to decrease
the possibility of wasting time and sources for improvement. In my case I would note
such criticisms because it is constructive and would apply the methods mentioned above
to improve the situation. However I would also consider a hidden fact such as tacting of
the higher management to keep the vision that your job is not good enough, hence in a
case you would love to request the higher reward it could be used as an excuse for the
rejection. Unfortunately I am aware of the situation and experienced as well when the
employer decreases your self confidence so you are working for lower reward.
Unfortunately that way most businesses function, they simply are interested in
decreasing the production /labor cost as much as possible. That is the reason to accept
criticism and to work on improving the situation, due to the fact that additional skill
increases your value, because the winner is the one who is able to keep a cold mind and is
able to control own emotions.