Emotions

What is bounded rationality?

We’re mostly rational people but there are boundaries on how rational we can be.

What is bounded emotionality?

We’re mostly emotional people who can sometimes act rationally.

Emotional labor

Fake emotion toward a customer or client

Emotional work

Genuine, real emotion toward a customer or client

Emotion with work

Emotions in relations with coworkers/supervisors/subordinates

• Emotions because of the job itself

• Ex: I hate my job

Emotion at work

Emotions from home carried over to work

• Ex: My roommate’s sick

Surface acting

Displaying the required emotions even if you don't feel them

• Can’t fake it forever…

Deep acting

Working to make yourself feel a required emotion

Emotional contagion

When we experience emotions parallel to those of another person

• “Feeling With” another. Hinders effective communication interaction.

• Ex: Crying with customers, makes it hard to be strong

Empathic concern

Involves nonparallel emotional response, a “Feeling For” another. Helps employees communicate effectively

• Ex: Someone not crying so they can be strong for the customers

How can people cope with burnout?

• Problem focused coping: Dealing directly with cause of burnout. The most enduring and satisfying strategy to reduce burnout long term.

• Appraisal focused coping: Changing how you think about the problem

• Emotion centered coping: Dealing with negative outcomes of burnout

  • Exercising, breathing exercises, new hobbies

What are the causes and dimensions of burnout?

1. Workload

2. Role Conflict

3. Role Ambiguity

Workload (Dimension of Burnout)

Having too much work to do and having work that is too difficult

• Communication Load: Rate and complexity of information received by an individual

• Ex: Sarah getting a million emails a day

Role Conflict (Dimension of Burnout)

Having two or more role requirements that clash with each other

• Wanting to spend time with your family, but you have work to do

Role Ambiguity (Dimension of Burnout)

When there is uncertainty about role requirements

What can orgs do to help employees with burnout?

• Flexibility – schedule / career

• Social support

  • Talking to people

• Socialization – orientation and beyond

  • Training new employees

• Workload management– clear tasks and expectations

• Participation in Decision Making