emotions in organizations: a multilevel perspective

Emotions in Organizations:A Multilevel Perspective

Neal M. Ashkanasy, PhD

Eighteenth Annual Meeting of ANZAM

/19/23 Ashkanasy ANZAM Keynote, December, 2004

Emotion at five levels of organization

5. Organization-wideOrganizational policies; requirement for emotional labor;

stress and wellbeing; emotional climate and culture

4. GroupsAffective composition; emotionally intelligent groups;

emotional contagion; leader-member exchange

3. Interpersonal InteractionsEmotional labor; emotional exchange;

displayed vs. felt emotion

2. Between personsTrait affectivity, affective commitment; job

satisfaction; burnout; emotional intelligence

1. Within-personState affect; affective events;

discrete emotions; mood; behaviors

5. Organization-wideOrganizational policies; requirement for emotional labor;

stress and wellbeing; emotional climate and culture

4. GroupsAffective composition; emotionally intelligent groups;

emotional contagion; leader-member exchange

3. Interpersonal InteractionsEmotional labor; emotional exchange;

displayed vs. felt emotion

2. Between personsTrait affectivity, affective commitment; job

satisfaction; burnout; emotional intelligence

1. Within-personState affect; affective events;

discrete emotions; mood; behaviors

Ashkanasy, N. Ashkanasy, N. M. (2003). M. (2003). Emotions in Emotions in organizations: organizations: A multilevel A multilevel perspective. perspective. In F. In F. Dansereau Dansereau and F. J. and F. J. Yammarino Yammarino (Eds.),(Eds.), Research in Research in multi-level multi-level issues, vol. 2: issues, vol. 2: Multi-level Multi-level issues in issues in organizational organizational behavior and behavior and strategystrategy (pp. (pp. 9-54)9-54).. Oxford, Oxford, UK: Elsevier UK: Elsevier Science Science


Level 1: Within-person variation in emotionAffective Events theory(Weiss & Cropanzano, 1996)

Work Events

• Daily hassles• Daily uplifts

Work Events

• Daily hassles• Daily uplifts

Experienced Emotions• Positive emotions• Negative emotions

Experienced Emotions• Positive emotions• Negative emotions

Work Attitudes• Job satisfaction• Loyalty• Commitment

Work Attitudes• Job satisfaction• Loyalty• Commitment

Affect-driven Behaviors• Impulsive acts• Spontaneous helping• Transient effort

Affect-driven Behaviors• Impulsive acts• Spontaneous helping• Transient effort

Personal Dispositions

• Trait affect• Emotional intelligence

Personal Dispositions

• Trait affect• Emotional intelligence

Judgment-driven Behaviors• Quitting• Anti- or pro-social behaviors• Productive work

Judgment-driven Behaviors• Quitting• Anti- or pro-social behaviors• Productive work

Work Environment• Nature of the job• Requirement for

emotional labor

Work Environment• Nature of the job• Requirement for

emotional labor


Neuropsychological Basis of Emotion

Sensory cortex(Primary)

Sensory cortex(Association)

Perirhinal cortex

HippocampalFormation

Sensory Thalamus

LEM EX 1

2 3

4

Central Gray

Emotional behavior

Sensory stimulusLH

RVL

AutonomicNervoussystem

BNST

PVN

Hypothalamic-Pituitary axis

AMYGDALA


Exulted, enthusiastic, excited

Drowsy, sluggish

High positiveaffect

Low positiveaffect

Lownegative

affect

Highnegative

affectCalm

Fearful,nervous,hostile

Happy Aroused

Quiet Sad

Disengagement

Pleasantness

Unpleasantness

Engagement

Level 2: State and trait mood


Level 2: Emotional Intelligence

The ability to perceive emotions, to access and generate emotions so as to assist thought, to understand emotions and emotional knowledge, and to reflectively regulate emotions so as to promote emotional and intellectual growth

(Mayer & Salovey, 1997)

Differentiated from personality measureson theoretical basis

Differentiated from impression managementby emotion focus

Capable of being changed


Level 3: Communicating emotion

Zygomatic Major

Obicularis Oculi


Level 3: Emotional labor

The “work” of emotion Ref. Hochschild: The Managed Heart

Effects on wellbeing Effects on performance

Within the organization At the customer interface


Some Recent research

1. A study of emotionin the board room

… with Jean Altohoff

2. Follower perceptionsof their leader

… with Marie Dasborough

3. Emotional intelligence and follower perceptions

… with Marie Dasborough


Level 3, 4: Emotion in the Boardroom

Jean Althoff

Participants answer to anewspaper ad, andcomplete the MSCEIT( an ability-based test ofemotional intelligence)

Participants view a realistic movie of a boardroom meeting (“About face”)

… then rate still frames of the board members’ emotional expressions …


What Emotion is this?


Results of boardroom study

Females more accurate then males … but it’s all explained in terms of emotional

intelligence – females are more emotionally intelligent than men

Males and females base their recognition on different mechanisms Females base recognition on

perception Males base recognition on

understanding


Level 4: Emotion in Leadership

Marie Dasborough

Participants: 147 Australian undergraduates Step 1: Mood manipulation (movies) Step 2: View “charismatic” leader’s speech Step 3: Receive “I” or “we” e-mail from the

leader (in the video) Step 4: Measure attribution to

manipulativeor sincere intentions.

Step 5: Measure emotionalreaction

Step 5: Labeling of the leaderand willingnessto comply with theleader’s request


Follower Perceptions of Leader Influence

Negative emotional reaction

Leader Influencebehavior

Follower’sIntention to comply

with the request

Follower attribution of manipulative

intent

Positive emotional reaction

Labeling of the leader as

“authentic” andtrustworthy

-

-

The “dark side” of charismatic leadership?

CFI = .91, RMSEA = .06


Emotional intelligence and follower perceptions

High emotional intelligence More accurate perception of emotion More understanding of emotion Better control of emotional reactions

Low emotional intelligence Less accurate perception of emotion Less understanding of emotion Worse control of emotional reactions


Level 5: Culture and climate

“Emotional Climate” (De Reviera)

“Climate of Fear”(Ashkanasy & Nicholson, 2003)

Emotional antecedentsofculture

The “emotionallyhealthy” organization(Ashkanasy & Daus,2002)


On-going Research

2003-5 Grant, Sponsored by the Australian Research Council (in conjunction with the Military Family Research Institute, Purdue University).

Projects: Affective events and leadership Group-Level effects and affective

climate AET and employee performance

in the organizational and socialcontext


Related activities

“Emonet” Active e-mail discussion group Affiliated with the Academy of Management Web page http://www.uq.edu.au/emonet/ E-mail [email protected] to join

Conferences First conference in San Diego, 1998 Second Conference in Toronto, 2000 Third Conference at the Gold Coast, Australia, 2002 Fourth Conference in London, June 2004 Fifth Conference in Atlanta, August 2006 “Caucuses” at Academy of Management meetings in

odd-numbered years


Key Publications

Journal of Organizational Behavior Special Edition (March, 2000, with C. Fisher)

Human Performance Special Issue(June, 2004)

Edited Books (with C. Härtel and W. Zerbe, based on – but not limited to - the best conference papers).

Emotions in the Workplace,Quorum, 2000

Managing Emotions in theWorkplace, ME Sharpe, 2002

Emotion in OrganizationalBehavior, Erlbaum, 2004


New Elsevier Book Series

Research on Emotion in Organizations Publisher: Elsevier Science, Oxford Based on conference papers + invited papers Volume 1

Editors: Ashkanasy, Zerbe, Härtel “Affect and its effects in organizational

settings” Publication in June/July, 2005

Volume 2 Editors: Zerbe, Ashkanasy, Härtel “Displaying and managing emotions in

organizations” Publication in April, 2006


Conclusions

Extension of Ashforth and Humphrey’s call for more focus on emotion in organizations.

Emotion is emerging as a key management and leadership skill.

Understanding of emotion isbased on knowledge of basicprocesses.

Emotion as a source of futureresearch opportunity.

New Elsevier Book Series

emotions in organizations: a multilevel perspective

Documents

ashkanasy anzam keynote

elsevier science ashkanasy

emotional laborashkanasy

emotional knowledge

multilevel issues

emotion focuscapable

boardroom meeting

marie dasboroughashkanasy