Emotional Expression in the Workplace

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Emotions in Management
Advantages of Emotional Expression in the Working Conditions
Disadvantages of Emotions in the Workplace
Emotional Discernment in the Workplace
Conclusion
References

Introduction

Like in all walks of life, emotions present a substantial constituent of the daily workplace interactions of all people. Depending on the organizational culture and social climate within the company, employees may experience different feelings: a solid connection to their place of work, indifference, or more negative responses, such as anger and hostility. Emotional reactions and tendencies can have different manifestations: they can be sincere or fake, sudden or consistent, rational or irrational. Individuals can be inclined to display or hide their emotions due to different factors. These are associated with their communication skills, emotional stability, and specific ways in which they tend to be aware and able to develop a solution for both adverse and advantageous events in their lives. Cultural background, upbringing, and socialization also have a major influence on a person’s emotional well-being and behaviors. The advantages and disadvantages of emotional behavior in the workplace will be discussed in this report, and several recommendations will be suggested for organizations to apply skills in emotions’ recognition and treatment in their management strategies.

Emotions in Management

Emotions have often been discussed in relation to rational management. Until recently, many researchers and managers ignored the topic of managing emotional outbursts in the working conditions, and the focus in most organizational settings was based on the methods of rational management (Alessandro et al., 2018). As a decision-making approach and a general corporate strategy, sound management implies a number of actions. These include setting the goals, formulating the criteria by which these steps, as well as the results of the work done, will be considered as successful, analyzing the alternative actions, and reaching a final decision. In recent decades, however, emotional intelligence has been broadly discussed in managerial literature. Many researchers argue that cold rationality and strong logic may not be enough to ensure the achievement of the desired outcomes and a favorable work environment (Vigoda-Gadot & Meisler, 2010). It is suggested that emotions, when managed effectively, can make a substantial contribution to the further development of organizational management.

One of the first researchers to discuss emotional intelligence was Daniel Goleman. In his book “Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ”, he introduced a dynamic framework for treating emotial behavior that consisted of five domains: awareness of one’s state, mind self-control, communication abilities, compassion, and the presence of an aim (Goleman, 1995). According to Goleman, these competencies “are ‘must-haves’ for being hired and promoted, and most especially for leadership” (Goleman, 1995, p. 5). He provides the reader with scientific insights on the nature of emotional intelligence and explains what is happening in the person’s brain when they are experiencing different emotions. In addition, he states that this research “suggests a window of opportunity for shaping children’s emotional habits” (Goleman, 1995, p. 22). Goleman further applies this knowledge in the discussion of the positive impact that emotional intelligence competencies can have on people’s relationships, aspirations, and general well-being.

Advantages of Emotional Expression in the Working Conditions

Strategies based on using emotions as a managerial tool have introduced a number of significant advantages into the field of organizational management. One of the essential benefits that being emotionally intelligent brings for any employee, and their team is motivation. People who are open-minded, well-balanced, and understanding have the power to motivate others because they can manage their emotions in a way that demonstrates confidence and self-control. When a person’s colleagues see such an example of professionalism, they are encouraged to act in the same way. This, in turn, leads to the second necessary element of an emotionally favorable work environment: shared vision. Being sincere and honest with each other, employees can openly exchange ideas about the goals and tasks of the team. When everyone can feel free to discuss any problems they may be facing at the moment, a common vision acts as the driving force behind the team’s common effort.

As a result, the members of the team or the organization create strong communication and cooperation channels. In such an environment, even when conflicts do arise, it is not challenging for the team members and all the other stakeholders to reach a compromise because they are all willing to work towards it. The third significant advantage of using emotions as a managerial tool in workplaces is the fact that it significantly reduces stress. Although personal feelings are often associated with causing work-related stress, studies have shown that “individuals with higher emotional intelligence have less job stress” (Yamani et al., 2014, p. 25). It is suggested that emotional intelligence is, in essence, a set of skills that can be taught and learned (Yamani et al., 2014). Therefore, workplaces with high levels of stress can implement strategies that would provide employees with specific emotional intelligence training. This will not only reduce tensions and minimize conflicts in the workplace but also develop trust among team members and ensure their psychological well-being.

Another significant advantage of using emotions in the workplace is the ability to develop friendships. Due to the fact that many people dedicate the main part of their day to work, they are more likely to make friends if they are emotionally intelligent. Not only is this beneficial for the employees, but the company can also benefit. For example, people who have formed strong connections with other team members are more likely to be productive in their work, and the whole team is more motivated to achieve its goals. This is mainly due to the smooth cooperation that friendships provide. Since close friendships involve displaying and sharing emotions, one can discern a significant advantage of developing an approach of emotions’ recognition and treatment.

Disadvantages of Emotions in the Workplace

Emotional labor can be discussed in relation to the disadvantages of using emotions in the workplace. Inherently visible work is inextricably linked with services that require employees to display certain emotions. Nowadays, the number of benefits that involve emotional labor is more prominent than ever. The emotional performance of the personnel that provides a customer with a service is crucial for that customer to enjoy the service. There are certainly many individuals who may find it challenging to display positive emotions for a prolonged period of time. For example, it can be complicated for some people to be affable and pleasant even when they experience emotions that are the exact opposite of those positive responses. Someone may be struggling with severe problems in their life but still be obliged to smile, be friendly and chatty with a client or a customer. This can cause a number of dangerous conditions, such as depression or anxiety (Frost, 2003). Thus, it can be suggested that many people view emotions in the workplace as an obligation and a strain, and for them, it can seem like a substantial disadvantage of their work.

The opinion that emotional management is the opposite of rational management is a highly controversial point of view. Since emotional labor is now used in many areas of the market, manipulating customers’ emotions has become an integral part of companies’ work strategies. It now appears to be so ingrained in the organizational practices worldwide that most companies providing services develop specific “emotional” standards for the personnel to use. These standards are thoroughly analyzed and based on the customers’ emotional tendencies. Depending on how emotionally vulnerable certain consumers are, these strategies can have a different effect on them, as well as on their purchasing decisions and preferences. It can be argued that this commercially manipulative use of one’s emotional state at work is a disadvantage because it can cause some customers to make irrational decisions. For example, they can spend money on something they do not need or even want but feel some kind of emotional urge to purchase.

While friendships in the workplace can bring many advantages for the employees and the organization, they may also cause problems that complicate work processes. This can primarily happen when friendships formed between co-workers start to deteriorate. The reasons for friendship deterioration vary significantly and may be caused by different reasons. The latter include an individual’s personality traits, the time that colleagues spend together, the frequency of their communications, and other external and internal factors (O’Connor et al., 2019). One person may have high expectations of their workplace friendships, while their friends may consider these relationships as a simple and informal way to spend time without attributing any value to them. In cases when workplace friendships deteriorate, emotions can have a negative effect on the interaction between team members and on the general climate within the company (Sias et al., 2004). Different work processes and mechanisms are also affected: like in all other areas of life, negative feelings and the lack of the capacity to regulate them can pose risks and problems for both personal and professional development.

Emotional Discernment in the Workplace

Taking into consideration the advantages and disadvantages discussed above, it is possible to state that determining whether the company management should encourage or limit emotional behaviors can be a tricky question. However, according to the studies conducted on the topic, it can be argued that improving the company’s strategies to manage employees’ emotions can make considerable contributions to the work practices and overall organizational climate (Carducci & Nave, 2020). Although emotions are sometimes associated with hasty decisions, thoughtless actions, premature judgments, and pronouncements, emotional intelligence can be learned in a way which will allow ensuring that these adverse outcomes do not occur. Instead, solid emotional intelligence will enable individuals to be considerate about other people’s feelings, open to their ideas and suggestions, calm and reasonable in moments of crisis. In spite of the common opinion about reasonableness and objectivity being characteristic of the rational management approaches, it can be argued that the latter has not yet set a strong example in that sense.

On the contrary, managers that have applied emotional intelligence training in their workplaces have seen significant improvement in the performance of all team members. Managing emotions has been proved to be an effective tool to mitigate bullying in the workplace, reduce stress, and empower workers (Hutchinson & Hurley, 2012). This is achieved through the focus placed on five aspects of emotional intelligence, which were briefly discussed earlier in the paper. Self-awareness refers to the person’s ability to analyze and understand their feelings. Being aware of what causes certain emotions, people can manage them better than those who are not. This is what makes the first able to regulate themselves, controlling impulses that can cause negative consequences. Social skills, in turn, imply the ability to communicate with others in an open and positive manner, as well as being a good team player and always agreeing to help when asked by a colleague.

Empathy can be considered a fragment of the critical elements of emotion recognition because it shows an ability of a worker to respond to and comprehend their colleagues’ emotions. In addition to that, empathetic people can recognize emotions which are not obvious because they tend to pay attention to others and be considerate about their feelings. Finally, the fifth element of emotional knowledge application in the workplace is motivation. This part includes not only the level at which one person is motivated by their own work, but also their capacity of inspiration giving to others (O’Connor et al., 2019). It is essential to understand that, although these are five different aspects, they are closely intertwined, and the best results can be achieved when the training involves strategies to develop all of them.

Conclusion

Managing emotional conditions of people in the workplace is extremely important to increase the comprehension of other individuals’ emotions in the workplace. The following recommendations can be suggested to manage emotions in organizational settings. First, it is essential to develop EI training that would provide all the members of the organization with a safe space to have open discussions. This will build trust and strong communication between co-workers, which will, in turn, reduce stress and ensure that any possible problems are identified and put for discussion in a timely manner. Second, to minimize the negative outcomes discussed above, company management can organize regular meetings where the members of the team will be encouraged to discuss problems they might be facing at the moment. These should not only include work-related issues: to build trusting relationships, and team members need to feel free to discuss any questions they want. The third recommendation is for the managers to set a personal example by developing their own emotional intelligence. This way, all team members will see that EI training is not an obligation or a new work requirement, but a personal philosophy, the principles that will help them in life.

References

Alessandro, M., Christian, R., Luigi, P., & Giuseppe, M. (2018). Social impact and evaluation: A rational management theory approach.African Journal of Business Management, 12(5), 92-102.

Carducci, B. J., & Nave, C. S. (Eds.). (2020). The Wiley encyclopedia of personality and individual differences. John Wiley & Sons.

Frost, P. J. (2003). Toxic emotions at work: How compassionate managers handle pain and conflict. Harvard Business School Press.

Goleman, D. (1995). Emotional intelligence: Why it can matter more than IQ. Bantam.

Huczynski, A., & Buchanan, D. A. (2019). Organizational behaviour (10th ed.). Harlow: Pearson.

Hutchinson, M., & Hurley, J. (2012). Exploring leadership capability and emotional intelligence as moderators of workplace bullying.Journal of Nursing Management, 21(3), 553-562.

O’Connor, P. J., Hill, A., Kaya, M., & Martin, B. (2019). The measurement of emotional intelligence: A critical review of the literature and recommendations for researchers and practitioners.Frontiers in Psychology, 10.

Sias, P. M., Heath, R. G., Perry, T., Silva, D., & Fix, B. (2004). Narratives of workplace friendship deterioration. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 21(3), 321-340.

Vigoda-Gadot, E., & Meisler, G. (2010). Emotions in management and the management of emotions: The impact of emotional intelligence and organizational politics on public sector employees.Public Administration Review, 70(1), 72-86.

Yamani, N., Shahabi, M., & Haghani, F. (2014). The relationship between emotional intelligence and job stress in the faculty of medicine in Isfahan University of Medical Sciences. Journal of Advances in Medical Education & Professionalism, 2(1), 20-26.

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