Camelia TRUŢĂ
Abstract: Inoculation of the appropriate form of emotional display in employees was, for a long period, a
formal control characteristic of organizations. Organizations regulate emotions employees should
display and appropriate intensity of those emotions through explicit feeling rules, emotion scripts or
through socialization process and organizational rituals. Certain organizational contexts impose specific
forms of emotions regulation in employees, either as displaying required emotions or as suppressing
undesired ones. The specific forms of organizational management of emotions at work and the motives for
which organizations regulate employees’ emotions are analyzed. We argue that the regulation of emotion
for commercial purposes is pervasive. In the final part of the paper, we will discuss ethical implication of
organizational management of emotions at work.
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Organizational management of emotions at work: motives and forms
a positive and comfortable experience for the Acknowledgement activities and abilities
customer, the latter will probably repeat his training programs destined to improve
visit and will buy again. Consumer behaviour relaxation techniques, cognitive coping
studies show that it is less probably for a abilities, changing lifestyle or work-style
customer to return to an organization that did abilities (time management programs, training
not treat him specially or did not succeed to assertiveness programs for example) have an
create the impression of a special attitude important role in developing individuals’
towards him (Fineman, 2003:33). physical and psychological resources. These
Another motive organizations claim to programs offer support for coping with work
justify management of employees’ emotions stressors that cannot be changed. The main
refers to reduction of negative consequences of role of secondary prevention is to reduce the
emotional experiences on employees. Several negative effects by reducing consequences
studies on emotional labour suggest that the rather than sources.
most important consequences of regulating Tertiary interventions focus on treatment,
express emotions in the workplace are rehabilitation and recovery of employees with
associated in employees with burnout and poor major health issues that resulted from
job performance (Brotheridge, Grandey, experiencing destructive emotions. Usually,
2002:19). At this level, organizations may interventions at this level imply counselling
intervene in several ways. services for employees with work or personal
Possible intervention strategies to prevent problem, implementation of complex systems
destructive emotions in the workplace are designed to facilitate and monitor the
similar to those adopted for the management rehabilitation process.
of stress: primary intervention (reduction of According to Murphy and Cooper,
destruction emotions and stress), secondary secondary and tertiary interventions are the
interventions (management of destructive most implemented ones by organizations,
emotions and stress), and tertiary interventions because (Cooper, Cartwright, 2001:272): there
(counselling programs for employees) are many published empirical studies on the
(Cooper, Cartwright, 2001:270). benefits of these types of interventions
Primary intervention consists of measures programs; those implementing secondary and
for reduction or eliminations of sources of tertiary intervention value more changes in
negative emotions, sources related to working individuals than changes in organizations;
environment. By reducing or eliminating these organization consider that it is much easier and
sources, the negative impact of emotions on less conflicting to change individuals than
employees is also reduced. Rebuilding work introducing extensive and expensive
tasks, changing the design of the work organizational development programs which
environment, flexible working schedules, results are uncertain. Secondary and primary
participative management, career development interventions have an important role in
programs for employees, social support and preventing destructive emotions, but do not
feedback, cohesive work teams, sharing offer a solution unless associated with
rewards are some of the most efficient intervention on stress sources.
strategies organizations may adopt in order to Not always managers and organizations
reduce the impact of emotional rules on resort to solutions that are extensive and, most
employees. Primary interventions strategies probably, expensive. Some managers found a
are, often, means for changing the much simpler solutions; they present
organizational culture. emotional rules as forms of rewarding the
Secondary interventions aim to promptly employees. For example, several supermarkets
identify and manage destructive emotions by offer primes or bonuses to their employees, if
increasing employees’ level of they have had a friendly behaviour towards the
acknowledgement and improving their abilities consumer (Fineman, 2003:34). Such examples
to manage emotions. demonstrate that shaping employees’ emotions
for commercial purposes is omnipresent.
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Organizational management of emotions at work: motives and forms
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