Workplace Emotions,

Attitudes, and
Stress
Chapter 4

© 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights

McShane/Von Glinow OB 5e 1
reserved
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 (shown in photo).

4-2
Emotions Defined
• Psychological, behavioral, 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

4-3
Types of Emotions

4-4
Attitudes versus Emotions

Attitudes Emotions

Judgments about an Experiences related to an

attitude object attitude object

Based mainly on Based on innate and learned

rational logic responses to environment

Usually stable for days Usually experienced for

or longer seconds or less

4-5
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
• Behavioral intentions: motivation to act in response to the attitude object
• Problem: Ignores important role of emotions in shaping attitudes

4-6
Attitudes: From Beliefs to Behavior
Perceived Environment
Cognitive Emotional
process process

Beliefs
Emotional
Episodes
Attitude Feelings

Behavioral
Intentions

Behavior
4-7
Emotions, Attitudes, and Behavior

 How emotions influence attitudes:

1. Feelings are shaped by cumulative emotional episodes (not just
evaluation of beliefs)
2. We ‘listen in’ on our emotions when determining our attitude toward
something
 Potential conflict between cognitive and emotional processes
 Emotions also directly affect behavior
• e.g. facial expression

4-8
Generating Positive Emotions at Work
• The emotions-attitudes-behavior
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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Cognitive Dissonance

• A state of anxiety that occurs when an individual’s beliefs, feelings

and behaviors are inconsistent with one another
• Most common when behavior is:
• known to others
• done voluntarily
• can’t be undone

4-10
 Emotional Labor Defined

Effort, planning and control needed to express

organizationally desired emotions during interpersonal
transactions.
Emotional labor is higher when job requires:
• frequent and long duration display of emotions
• displaying a variety of emotions
• displaying more intense emotions

11 4-11
Emotional Labor Across Cultures

• Displaying or hiding emotions varies across cultures

• Minimal emotional expression and monotonic voice in Korea, Japan, Austria
• Encourage emotional expression in Kuwait, Egypt, Spain, Russia

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Emotional Labor 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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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

4-14
Model of Emotional Intelligence

Highest Relationship
Managing other people’s emotions
Management

Perceiving and understanding the

Social Awareness meaning of others’ emotions

Self-management Managing our own emotions

perceiving and understanding the

Self-awareness meaning of your own emotions
Lowest

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Emotional Intelligence Competencies
Self Other
(personal competence) (social competence)

Recognition
of emotions Self-awareness Social awareness

Regulation Relationship
of emotions Self-management
management

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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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EVLN: Responses to Dissatisfaction
• Leaving the situation
Exit • Quitting, transferring

• Changing the situation

Voice • Problem solving, complaining

• Patiently waiting for the

Loyalty situation to improve

• Reducing work effort/quality

Neglect • Increasing absenteeism

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Job Satisfaction and Performance

Happy workers are somewhat more productive workers, but:

1. General attitude is a poor predictor of specific behaviors
2. Job performance affects satisfaction only when rewarded
3. Effect on performance strongest in complex jobs because of greater
employee influence on job performance (e.g. limited in assembly lines)

4-20
Happy Staff=Happy Customers at Wegman’s

Wegmans Food Market

enjoys strong customer
loyalty and low employee
turnover by keeping
employees happy.

4-21
Job Satisfaction and Customers
Job satisfaction increases customer
satisfaction and profitability
because:
1. Job satisfaction affects mood,
leading to positive behaviors
toward customers
2. Job satisfaction reduces
employee turnover, resulting in
more consistent and familiar
service

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Organizational Commitment

• Affective commitment
• Emotional attachment to, identification with, and involvement in an
organization

• Continuance commitment
• Calculative attachment – stay because too costly to quit

4-23
Building (Affective) commitment

• Apply humanitarian values

Justice/ Support
• Support employee wellbeing

Shared
• Values congruence
Values

• Employees trust org leaders

Trust
• Job security supports trust

Organisational • Know firm’s past/present/future

Comprehension • Open and rapid communication

Employee • Employees feel part of company

Involvement • Involvement demonstrates trust

4-24
What is Stress?

• An adaptive response to a situation that is perceived as challenging

or threatening to the person’s well-being
• Aphysiological and psychological condition that prepares us to adapt
to hostile or noxious environmental conditions
• Eustress vs. distress

4-25
 General Adaptation Syndrome
Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3
Alarm Reaction Resistance Exhaustion

Normal
Level of
Resistance

4-26
Consequences of Distress

Cardiovascular disease,
Physiological hypertension, headaches

Work performance, accidents,

Behavioral absenteeism, aggression, poor
decisions

Dissatisfaction, moodiness,
Psychological depression, emotional fatigue

4-27
Job Burnout Process
Interpersonal and
Role-Related Stressors

Emotional
Exhaustion
Physiological,
psychological,
Cynicism
and behavioral
consequences

Reduced Personal
Accomplishment

4-28
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 an incivility
• Work overload
• Low task control

4-29
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

4-31
Work Overload and Task Control Stressors

• Work Overload Stressor

• Working more hours, more intensely than one can cope
• Affected by globalization, consumerism, ideal worker norm
• Task Control Stressor
• Due to lack control over how and when tasks are performed
• Stress increases with responsibility

4-32
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
© Photodisc. With permission.

4-33
Managing Work-Related Stress

• Remove the stressor

• Minimize/remove stressors
• Withdraw from the stressor
• Vacation, rest breaks
• Change stress perceptions
• Positive self-concept, humor
• Control stress consequences
• Healthy lifestyle, fitness, wellness
• Receive social support

4-34
 Foundations of Employee
Motivation
Chapter 5

© 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights

McShane/Von Glinow OB 5e 35
reserved
Motivation Defined
• The forces within a person that
affect the direction, intensity,
and persistence of voluntary
behavior

• Exerting particular effort level

(intensity), for a certain amount
of time (persistence), toward a
particular goal (direction).

5-36
Employee Engagement

Emotional and cognitive

motivation, self-efficacy to
perform the job, a clear
understanding of one’s role in
the organization’s vision and a
belief that one has the
resources to perform the job

5-37
 Drives and Needs

• Drives (aka-primary needs, fundamental needs, innate

motives)
• Neural states that energize individuals to correct deficiencies or
maintain an internal equilibrium
• Prime movers of behavior by activating emotions

Self-concept, social norms,

and past experience

Drives Needs
Decisions and
(primary needs) Behavior

5-38
 Drives and Needs

• Needs
• Goal-directed forces that people experience.
• Drive-generated emotions directed toward goals
• Goals formed by self-concept, social norms, and experience

Self-concept, social norms,

and past experience

Drives Needs
Decisions and
(primary needs) Behavior

5-39
Maslow’s Needs Hierarchy Theory
Seven categories Need to
capture most needs Self- know
actual-
Five categories placed ization Need for
in a hierarchy beauty
Esteem

Belongingness

Safety

Physiological

5-40
Maslow’s Needs Hierarchy Theory
Need to
know
• Lowest unmet need has
Self- strongest effect
actual-
ization Need for
beauty • When lower need is satisfied,
Esteem next higher need becomes the
primary motivator
Belongingness • Self-actualization -- a growth
need because people desire
Safety
more rather than less of it
when satisfied
Physiological

5-41
Evaluating Maslow’s Theory
Need to
know
• Lack of support for theory
Self-
actual-
ization Need for
• People have different
beauty hierarchies – don’t progress
Esteem through needs in the same
order
Belongingness • Needs change more rapidly
than Maslow stated
Safety

Physiological

5-42
What Maslow Contributed to Motivation
Theory
• More holistic
• Integrative view of needs

• More humanistic
• Influence of social dynamics,
not just instinct

• More positivistic
• Pay attention to strengths,
not just deficiencies

5-43
What’s Wrong with Needs Hierarchy Models?
• Wrongly assume that everyone
has the same needs hierarchy
(i.e. universal)
• Instead, likely that each person
has a unique needs hierarchy
• Shaped by our self-concept --
values and social identity

5-44
Learned Needs Theory

• Needs are amplified or suppressed through self-concept, social

norms, and past experience

• Therefore, needs can be “learned” (i.e. strengthened or weakened

through training)

5-45
Three Learned Needs
Need for achievement
• Need to reach goals, take responsibility
• Want reasonably challenging goals

Need for affiliation

• Desire to seek approval, conform to others wishes, avoid
conflict
• Effective executives have lower need for social approval

Need for power

• Desire to control one’s environment
• Personalized versus socialized power

5-46
Four-Drive Theory

• Drive to take/keep objects and

Drive to Acquire experiences
• Basis of hierarchy and status

• Drive to form relationships and

Drive to Bond social commitments
• Basis of social identity

• Drive to satisfy curiosity and

Drive to Learn
resolve conflicting information

• Need to protect ourselves

Drive to Defend • Reactive (not proactive) drive
• Basis of fight or flight

5-47
Features of Four Drives
Innate and hardwired
• everyone has them

Independent of each other

• no hierarchy of drives

Complete set
• no drives are excluded from the model

5-48
How Four Drives Affect Motivation

1. Four drives determine which emotions are automatically tagged

to incoming information

2. Drives generate independent and often competing emotions that

demand our attention

3. Mental skill set relies on social norms, personal values, and

experience to transform drive-based emotions into goal-directed
choice and effort

5-49
Four Drive Theory of Motivation

Drive to Social Personal Past

Acquire norms values experience

Drive to
Bond
Mental skill set resolves Goal-directed
competing drive demands choice and effort
Drive to
Learn

Drive to
Defend

Social norms, personal values, and experience

transform drive-based emotions into goal-
directed choice and effort

5-50
Implications of Four Drive Theory

Provide a balanced opportunity for employees to fulfil all four drives

• employees continually seek fulfilment of drives
• avoid having conditions support one drive more than others

5-51
Expectancy Theory of Motivation
E-to-P P-to-O Outcomes
Expectancy Expectancy & Valences

Outcome 1
+ or -

Outcome 2
Effort Performance + or -

Outcome 3
+ or -

5-52
Increasing E-to-P and P-to-O Expectancies

• Increasing E-to-P Expectancies

• Assuring employees they have competencies
• Person-job matching
• Provide role clarification and sufficient resources
• Behavioral modeling
• Increasing P-to-O Expectancies
• Measure performance accurately
• More rewards for good performance
• Explain how rewards are linked to performance

5-53
Increasing Outcome Valences

• Ensure that rewards are valued

• Individualize rewards
• Minimize countervalent outcomes

5-54
Making Every Day Count in NYC
New York City mayor Michael
Bloomberg has challenging goals to
accomplish, and he doesn’t want any
of his remaining tenure wasted.
Bloomberg had special clocks
installed in a dozen city government
offices that count down how many
days remain in his mayoral term.

5-55
Goal Setting

The process of motivating employees

and clarifying their role perceptions
by establishing performance
objectives

5-56
Effective Goal Setting Characteristics
Specific -- measureable change within a
time frame
Relevant – within employee’s control
and responsibilities
Challenging – raise level of effort
Accepted (commitment) – motivated to
accomplish the goal
Participative (sometimes) – improves
acceptance and goal quality
Feedback – information available about
progress toward goal

5-57
Characteristics of Effective Feedback

1. Specific – connected to goal details

2. Relevant – Relates to person’s behavior
3. Timely – to improve link from behavior to outcomes
4. Sufficiently frequent
• Employee’s knowledge/experience
• task cycle
5. Credible – trustworthy source

5-58
Feedback Through Strengths-Based Coaching

• Maximizing the person’s potential by focusing on their strengths

rather than weaknesses
• Motivational because:
• people inherently seek feedback about their strengths, not their flaws
• person’s interests, preferences, and competencies stabilize over time

5-59
Multisource (360-Degree) Feedback

• Received from a full circle of people around the employee

• Provides more complete and accurate information
• Several challenges

5-60
Evaluating Goal Setting and Feedback
• Goal setting has high validity and
usefulness
• Goal setting/feedback limitations:
• Focuses employees on measurable
performance
• Motivates employees to set easy goals
(when tied to pay)
• Goal setting interferes with learning
process in new, complex jobs

5-61
Keeping Pay Equitable at Costco

Costco Wholesale CEO Jim Sinegal

(shown in this photo) thinks the large
wage gap between many executives and
employees is blatantly unfair. “Having an
individual who is making 100 or 200 or
300 times more than the average person
working on the floor is wrong,” says
Sinegal, whose salary and bonus are a
much smaller multiple of what his staff
earn.

5-62
Organizational Justice
Distributive justice
• Perceived fairness in outcomes
we receive relative to our
contributions and the outcomes
and contributions of others
Procedural justice
• Perceived fairness of the
procedures used to decide the
distribution of resources

5-63
Organizational Justice Components

Distribution
Distributive
Principles
Justice
Perceptions • Emotions

• Attitudes
Structural
Rules
Procedural • Behaviors
Justice
Perceptions
Social
Rules

5-64
Equity Theory

A theory explaining how people develop

perceptions of fairness in the distribution and
exchange of resources.

5-65
Elements of Equity Theory

Outcome/input ratio
• inputs -- what employee contributes (e.g., skill)
• outcomes -- what employee receives (e.g., pay)

Comparison other
• person/people against whom we compare our ratio
• not easily identifiable

Equity evaluation
• compare outcome/input ratio with the comparison other

5-66
Correcting Inequity Feelings
Actions to correct inequity Example
Reduce our inputs Less organizational citizenship

Increase our outcomes Ask for pay increase

Increase other’s inputs Ask coworker to work harder

Ask boss to stop giving other preferred

Reduce other’s outputs
treatment
Start thinking that other’s perks aren’t
Change our perceptions
really so valuable
Compare self to someone closer to your
Change comparison other
situation

Leave the field Quit job

5-67
Equity Sensitivity

• Outcome/input preferences and reaction to various outcome/input

ratios
• Benevolents
• tolerant of being underrewarded
• Equity Sensitives
• want ratio to be equal to the comparison other
• Entitleds
• prefer proportionately more than others

5-68
Evaluating Equity Theory

• Good at predicting situations unfair distribution of pay/rewards

• Difficult to put into practice

• doesn’t identify comparison other
• doesn’t indicate relevant inputs or outcomes

• Equity theory explains only some feelings of fairness

• procedural justice is as important as distributive justice

5-69
Procedural Justice

• Perceived fairness of procedures used to decide the distribution of

resources
• Higher procedural fairness with:
• Voice
• Unbiased decision maker
• Decision based on all information
• Existing policies consistently
• Decision maker listened to all sides
• Those who complain are treated respectfully
• Those who complain are given full explanation

5-70
References:

• Greenburg, J. & Baron, R. (2008), Behavior in Organizations, Pearson/

Prentice Hall, N.J.
• McShane. S. & Glinow, MA. Human Behavior in Organization. 6th
edition McGrawhill Publishing, 2013.
• Robbins,S. P. & Judge, T. A., Essentials of Organizational Behavior,
Pearson/C&E Publishing, 11th ed. 2013.

© 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights

McShane/Von Glinow OB 5e 71
reserved