Essentials of Organizational Behavior

Fifteenth Edition, Global Edition

Chapter 4
Emotions and Moods

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Learning Objectives
4.1 Differentiate between emotions and moods.
4.2 Identify the sources of emotions and moods.
4.3 Show the impact emotional labor has on employees.
4.4 Describe affective events theory.
4.5 Describe emotional intelligence.
4.6 Identify strategies for emotion regulation.
4.7 Apply concepts about emotions and moods to specific
OB issues.

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What Are Emotions and Moods?
Learning Objective 4.1

• Emotions influence our attitudes

• Affect, emotions, and moods and related

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Affect, Emotions, and Moods (Exhibit 4-1)

Affect, Emotions and Moods are related:

affect= emotions (intense) = moods (less intense)
Emotions influence our Attitudes
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The Basic Moods: Positive and Negative
Affect
• Positive affect: a mood dimension consisting of
positive emotions such as excitement,
enthusiasm, and elation at the high end (high
positive affect) and boredom, depression, and
fatigue at the low end (low positive affect)
• Negative affect: a mood dimension consisting of
nervousness, stress, and anxiety at the high end
(high negative affect) and contentedness,
calmness, and serenity at the low end (low
negative affect)
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The Affective Circumplex (Exhibit 4-2)

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The Basic Emotions
• Six universal emotions
1. Anger
2. Fear
3. Sadness
4. Happiness
5. Disgust
6. Surprise

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Moral Emotions
• Emotions that have moral implications because of
our instant judgment of the situation that evokes
them
– Moral disgust

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Experiencing Moods and Emotions
• Positive moods are somewhat more common than
negative moods
– Positivity offset: at zero input, most people
experience a mildly positive mood

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The Function of Emotions
• Happy employees tend to have positive job
attitudes
• Do emotions make us irrational?
– Emotions are critical to rational thought: they help us
understand the world around us

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Sources of Emotions and Moods (1 of 3)
Learning Objective 4.2

• Personality
– Some people experience certain moods and emotions
more frequently than others
– Affect intensity: experiencing the same emotions with
different intensities
• Time of day
– People vary in their moods by time of day
• Day of the week
– People tend to be in their best mood Friday to Sunday

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Time-of-Day Effects on Mood of U.S.
Adults as Rated From Twitter Postings
(Exhibit 4-3)

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Sources of Emotions and Moods (2 of 3)
• Weather
– Illusory correlation
▪ No impact according to research

• Stress
– Increased stress worsens moods
• Sleep
– Lack of sleep increases negative emotions and impairs
decision making

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Sources of Emotions and Moods (3 of 3)
• Exercise
– Enhances positive mood
• Gender
– Trivial differences

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Emotional Labor
Learning Objective 4.3

• Emotional labor: an employee’s expression of

organizationally desired emotions during
interpersonal transactions at work
• Emotional dissonance: when an employee has
to project one emotion while simultaneously
feeling another

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Felt vs. Displayed Emotions
• Felt Emotions:
– The individual’s actual emotions
• Displayed Emotions:
– The learned emotions that the organization requires
workers to show and considers appropriate in a given
job
– Surface Acting – hiding one’s true emotions
– Deep Acting – trying to change one’s feelings based
on display rules Very stressful

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Affective Events Theory
Learning Objective 4.4

• How do emotions and moods influence job

performance and satisfaction?
• Affective events theory (AET): employees react
emotionally to things that happen to them at work,
and this reaction influences their job performance
and satisfaction

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Emotional Intelligence (1 of 2)
Learning Objective 4.5

• Emotional intelligence: a person’s ability to:

– Perceive emotions in the self and others
– Understand the meaning of these emotions
– Regulate one’s emotions accordingly

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A Cascading Model of Emotional
Intelligence (Exhibit 4-4)

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Emotional Intelligence (2 of 2)
• Study of 11 U.S. presidents
• EI predicts long-term popularity
• Limitations

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Emotion Regulation
Learning Objective 4.6

• Emotion regulation: identifying and modifying

the emotions you feel
• Emotion regulation influences and outcomes
– Personality
– Workplace environment
• Emotion regulation techniques
– Cognitive reappraisal (reframing)
– Social sharing (venting)

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OB Applications of Emotions and Moods (1 of 3)
Learning Objective 4.7

• Selection – Employers should consider EI in

hiring
• Decision Making – Positive emotions can
increase problem-solving skills
• Creativity – Positive moods may increase
creativity

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OB Applications of Emotions and
Moods (2 of 3)
• Motivation – Promoting positive moods may
enhance employee motivation
• Leadership – Sharing positive emotions
enhances perceptions of leaders’ effectiveness
• Customer Service – Customers “catch” emotions
from employees (emotional contagion)

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OB Applications of Emotions and
Moods (3 of 3)
• Work-Life Satisfaction
– Spill over
• Deviant Workplace Behaviors
– Those who feel negative emotions are more likely to
engage in deviant behavior at work
• Safety and Injury at Work
– Bad moods can contribute to injuries on the job

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Implications for Managers (1 of 2)
• Recognize that emotions are a natural part of the
workplace and good management does not mean
creating an emotion-free environment.
• To foster effective decision making, creativity, and
motivation in employees, model positive emotions
and moods as much as is authentically possible.
• Provide positive feedback to increase the positivity
of employees. Of course, it also helps to hire
people who are predisposed to positive moods.

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Implications for Managers (2 of 2)
• In the service sector, encourage positive displays
of emotion, which make customers feel more
positive and thus improve customer service
interactions and negotiations.
• Understand the role of emotions and moods to
significantly improve your ability to explain and
predict your coworkers’ and employees’ behavior.

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Discussion Questions
• What are the implications for failing to differentiate
how emotions are expressed across cultures?
How can managers improve their ability to do so?
• Can organizations help employees improve their
levels of emotional intelligence. If so, how can this
be achieved?

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