WOP workplace emotions, attitudes and stress

Question 1

What two factors contribute to behaviour in the workplace? Which of these may carry more weight and why?

Answer 1

Behaviour in the workplace is influenced by cognitive processes and emotions. Emotions may have a greater effect because they can occur prior to cognitive processes.

Question 2

What are emotions?

Answer 2

Emotions are physiological, behavioural and psychological episodes experienced toward an object, person or event.

Question 3

What is the difference between emotions and moods

Answer 3

Moods can last longer

Question 4

What do all emotions have in common?

Answer 4

Two common features: emotions have a certain valence, also called core affect (e.g: approach or avoid object) and emotions ready us to some extent.

Question 5

Do we experience emotional valence stronger for negative or positive emotions?Why may this be?

Answer 5

Negative, possibly because they are for survival

Question 6

What are attitudes?

Answer 6

evaluations of an object or event

Question 7

What subcategories do attitudes consist of

Answer 7

Attitudes consist of beliefs, feelings and behavioural intentions

Question 8

What can counteract negative experiences at work?

Answer 8

Positive emotions at work

Question 9

What affect can feelings have on attitudes?

Answer 9

Feelings can make sure that attitudes differ, even though the beliefs and the behaviours are the same for two people.

Question 10

When does cognitive dissonance occur

Answer 10

When attitudes and behaviour conflicts

Question 11

What is the relationship between personality and situations on emotion

Answer 11

Emotions are partly determined by personality. The actual situation in which people work has a stronger influence on their attitudes and behaviour than personality.

Question 12

What is meant by emotional labour?

Answer 12

Effort, planning and control needed to express organizationally desired emotions during interpersonal transactions

Question 13

When is emotional labour higher?

Answer 13

When the display rules are precise, if the contact with the client is frequent and long and if the emotions have to be intense.

Question 14

What is meant by emotional dissonance?

Answer 14

Emotional dissonance refers to the tension when the emotions people are required to display differ from the emotions they are actually experiencing at the moment.

Question 15

What can help with emotional dissonance?

Answer 15

Surface acting; pretending to feel the expected emotion.

Question 16

What are the downsides to surface acting and how can this be alleviated?

Answer 16

Surface acting can lead to higher stress and burnout. The psychological damage can be reduced by seeing surface acting as part of a role. This does not deprive the person’s self-worth.

Question 17

What is deep acting and what does it require?

Answer 17

Deep acting involves visualizing reality differently, which produces emotions more consistent with the required emotion. Deep acting requires emotional intelligence.

Question 18

What is meant by emotional intelligence

Answer 18

A set of abilities to perceive and express emotion, assimilate emotion in thought, understand and reason with emotion and regulate emotion in oneself and others.

Question 19

What four dimensions does emotional intelligence consist of?

Answer 19

Awareness and management of our own emotions and awareness and management of others. This is hierarchal with one needed to get the next.

Question 20

How is emotional intelligence beneficial in the workplace?

Answer 20

Emotional intelligence improves employee performance and well-being. It only improves tasks that require social interaction.

Question 21

How can one improve emotional intelligence?

Answer 21

Through training and improves with age.

Question 22

Why is it hard to measure job satisfaction across countries

Answer 22

It mostly uses a single question and there are different cultural values and that job satisfaction changes with economic conditions

Question 23

What model states that there are 4 ways employees respond to job dissatisfaction?

Answer 23

Exit-Voice-Loyalty-Neglect model (EVLN)
V- change the situation
L- stay loyal and wait
N- neglect their work duties

Question 24

What important factors can predict how a person will respond to job dissatisfaction

Answer 24

An individual’s personality, values and self-concept. Past experience and the current situation also influence this.

Question 25

What effect does job satisfaction have on job performance?

Answer 25

People that are satisfied with their job tend to be more productive and have better performance. Job satisfaction doesn’t predict specific behaviours. Some employees cannot change in quality and job satisfaction often arises with improved performance. Job satisfaction has a stronger effect on customer service than overall job performance.

Question 26

What does the service profit chain model state?

Answer 26

Employees’ job satisfaction influences company profitability indirectly through service quality, customer loyalty and related factors.

Question 27

How may satisfied employees create happier customers?

Answer 27

Satisfied employees produce happier customers because they are less likely to quit and thus have more work experience and they are in a good mood and this could put customers in a good mood as well.

Question 28

What is meant by affective organisational commitment?

Answer 28

An individual’s emotional attachment to, involvement in and identification with an organization.

Question 29

How does this differ to continuance commitment?

Answer 29

Continuance commitment refers to an individual’s calculative attachment to the organization

Question 30

What are the advantages and disadvantages of affective organisational commitment?

Answer 30

Affective organizational commitment leads to a competitive advantage for the organization, but it leads to higher conformity and thus to lower creativity.

Question 31

Name five ways an organisation can build and maintain AOC

Answer 31

Justice and support, Shared values, Trust, Organisation comprehension and Employee involvement

Question 32

What is meant by stress?

Answer 32

Stress is an adaptive response to a situation that is perceived as challenging or threatening to a person’s well-being.

Question 33

Define distress

Answer 33

Distress is the degree of physiological, psychological and behavioural deviation from healthy functioning

Question 34

What is the function of Eustress?

Answer 34

Eustress actives and motivates people to achieve goals and change their environments.

Question 35

What is the general adaptation syndrome?

Answer 35

A model of the stress response consisting of an alarm reaction, resistance to the stress and exhaustion

Question 36

What health and psychological problems are associated with stress?

Answer 36

health problems, including headaches and cardiovascular disease and psychological consequences, such as job dissatisfaction and depression

Question 37

What are common symptoms or precursors to burnouts?

Answer 37

emotional exhaustion, cynicism and reduced feelings of personal accomplishment.

Question 38

What is meant by the term stressors?

Answer 38

Any environmental conditions that place a physical or emotional demand on the person.

Question 39

What are the four common stressors in the workplace?

Answer 39

Organisational Constraints, interpersonal conflict, Work overload and low task control

Question 40

What factors are important in dealing with stress?

Answer 40

Physical health, coping strategy and personality are important factors

Question 41

Name five strategies in reducing stress

Answer 41

Removing the stressor, withdrawing from the stressor, Changing stress perceptions, controlling stress consequences (improving physical health and coping strategy) and receiving social support

Question 42

Name five ways one can remove the stressor

Answer 42

Flexible and limited work time, Personal leave, job sharing, telecommuting and child care support

Question 43

What is important in changing stress perception?

Answer 43

Positive self-evaluation and optimism

Question 44

What are the two components of attitudes?

Answer 44

Cognitive- mental association with an object (belief)

Affective- Positive or negative evaluation

Question 45

How does the circumflex model of effect relate to work related states?

Answer 45

Negative evaluation, high activation= Workaholism
Negative evaluation, Low activation= Burnout
Positive evaluation, high activation= Work engagement
Positive evaluation, low activation= Job satisfaction