The study of the influence of emotions on decision making and behavior is an area of

growing interest. Research reveals that cognition is not the sole influencing factor in
determining behavior. Emotions, though brief and fleeting, affect many of the responses
and actions of people within organizations (McShane et al., 2021).

As an employee, I have experienced how emotions like joy, happiness and excitement
appear to infuse me with energy resulting in an increased level of motivation and
productivity.

As a forward-thinking manager, I would propose a three-pronged approach to managing

emotions within the organization:
1. Be an ‘emotion leader’: take responsibility for reflecting the kind of positive
emotions you expect from employees
2. Create the right atmosphere: make employees feel they are valued and their
emotions matter.
3. Be sensitive: identify and eliminate threats which invoke negative emotions.

In their study of group emotions, Menges, J. I. & Kilduff, M., (2015) speak about the concept of
emotional contagion’. This refers to how emotions may be transferred by a person of
influence to others within a group. They explain this using the example of team dynamics
observed in sports. An individual may invoke and transfer a feeling of confidence and
excitement among team members by raising a chant or singing songs of victory before an
important match. Situations are often perceived or analyzed through the eyes of a leader.
My first strategy for managing emotions would be to take control of my own emotions. I
would focus on developing emotional intelligence and work on influencing the emotions of
the members of my team by remembering the thought, feelings, behavior triangle and how
it is affected by emotions. I will aim to mirror the positive emotions I wish to see within the
organization.

McShane et al., (2021) explain that emotions arise from stimuli within the environment,
citing examples of industry leaders such as Google Inc. and Zoom which have gained
popularity as organizations that prioritize creating a happier workplace. The notion is that
happier people are more productive people.
As a manager, I would borrow this idea of infusing a visually appealing environment,
including fun and relaxation into the workspace. Gupta, V. & Devalina (2015) posit that a
positive correlation exists between a relaxing environment and positive emotions. This has
the potential to influence behavior. By caring about the work environment, I believe
employees would feel valued and cared, resulting in a positive mental association to work
and the workplace.

I would prioritize consistent scanning of the organizations environment to identify threats

which can stir up negative emotions. When these threats are recognized, strategies can be
identified to diffuse the situation and restore the right feelings and emotions.