“Leading With Emotional Labor” Article Analysis Essay (Critical Writing)

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Article’s general view

Unlike Weber’s argument, which discourages executives from incorporating emotions in their work and workplace, the article brings out a contrary approach towards emotions and organization. Initially, emotional discussions in an organization were only attributed to their effect on decision making or interpersonal conflicts. Manager-subordinate interactions, as well as those between executives, were to be emotion-free. Nonetheless, the article brings out clearly that emotions do add value to the workplace. It calls for managers to learn how to influence group member’s emotional reactions as strong emotions can have both negative and positive effects on operational performances. It also states the effects of negative and positive moods both in managers and the workforce and calls for leader’s effective performance on emotional labor. In the emphasis on the importance of emotional labor performed by effective leaders, the article brings out the effect of the manager’s emotions on workers, or, According to (Judge et.al, 2008, p.62), “impact of emotional expressiveness on managerial influence and leadership process.” As the article goes further in its explanation on emotion labor, different types of emotional labor, and the relationship of emotional labor and leadership to infectivity as well as emotional expression to current leadership theories, it reveals significant benefits to managers in form of its strengths and weaknesses (Judge, et.al, 2008, p. 32).

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Strengths of the article

First, the organizational beliefs regarding the unnecessary emotions in the workplace are effectively and convincingly eradicated through recognition of the positive effects of emotions in work performance. Ignorance of emotional labor has been attributed as the major cause of the ineffective performance of employees. As stated, managers can realize that it is what workers feel that determines what they do. Through an explanation of the effect of the manager’s emotion on workers, it states clearly how the negative or positive mood in managers can do to the worker’s performance. Depending on the nature of the organization, managers can learn the specific emotions that their subordinates should feel to effectively perform their roles (Luthans 2005, p. 75).

In determining how to affect the emotions of the workers, managers have been provided with a means of determining ways in which employees alter their emotional expressions. This is of great importance as it provides the managers with information regarding expectations from the employees, as well as ways of dealing with the situation. The article brings out how employees practice emotional “surface acting”-displaying internally absent feelings, and “deep acting”- displaying feelings that generate from within and their effects. Surface acting, for instance, is associated with negative identification and depersonalization, and deep, acting positively related to identification and personal accomplishment. Realization of this by managers will help then not only save the employees from psychological harm associated with these actions but also work towards enabling workers and leaders to identify with their role (Buchanan & Huczynski 2004, p. 317).

Besides, the article has successfully explained not only the importance of “leading with emotional labor” but also how to do this. Managers and other leaders are guided on how to display their emotions to influence their subordinate’s emotions, moods, performance, and motivations. Luthans (2005, p. 216) notes “subordinates are most likely to be influenced by observable emotion displays, and leaders, therefore, need to engage in emotional labor to produce the right emotional expressions to motivate and influence their followers.” Managers have been guided through three major fields; customer service jobs, caring professions, and social control jobs and how to display their emotional labor to effectively enhance positive results. In a customer service job, the expression of a friendly, positive emotion such as a smile is crucial; in caring professions, emotions such as sympathy and concern are important whereas, in social control job, negative emotions such as irritation and anger are effective. The article enables managers to realize the importance of their organization’s emotional associated meanings, how to bring them out, and challenges associated with their practice (Naoum 2001, p. 136).

The article also brings out the fact that the subordinate’s feelings of frustration and optimism lay on the manager’s presentation to them. It notes that subordinates have average mood levels, which only leaders can suppress or elevate. Through encouraging workers on how to cope with negative events and instill feelings of optimism (by encouraging them that even the very challenging goals are achievable), managers can change workers’ attitudes effectively. In explaining that managers are the only influencers of employee’s emotions, the article proves this by the difference in position, power, and autonomy, which these two parties have in their relation. Being higher in the hierarchy, manager’s confidence, and positive mood will significantly determine the motivation of the workers (Michael & Jones 1973, p. 316).

Weaknesses of the article

One of the main weaknesses of the article is that it has given much of its attention toward the subordinates. Even though workers are the core contributors to an organization’s development; managers are the key players of the organization’s success. As stated, everyone has an average mood that can only be suppressed or elevated by his/her superior. Are managers their superiors? Who elevates their moods? However, one can point out that they find their motivation from the results of their work. (Lundgren 1974, p. 291).

On the other hand, the article has portrayed employees as “push-log.” It emerges out in a sense of “give and get” where employees have to be motivated emotionally to perform well and identify themselves with their role. However, this might not be the case because many employees are self-driven, and the presence or absence of their managers might be of no big difference. Also, in other cases, it might be impossible to change a subordinate mood concerning a certain job that he/she finds no interest in. The article also takes a dimension of close contact with the manager-subordinate relationship. This is, however, not the practical case in the current organization. Due to their complexity, many organizations have distanced manager-subordinate close-interaction. This diminishes the element of emotional labor effectiveness (Elsbach 2003, p. 201).

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The benefit of the article for managers

Nevertheless, the article appears to be of great benefit to the managers. This is because it brings out solutions to this relationship in an organization’s performance as the article provides a strategy that is formal and applicable to all organizational operations. It provides a solution to the internal and external representation of an employee, a combination that determines the effectiveness of his/her performance. Managers are provided with a “mirror” which through it, they can evaluate the feelings towards their subordinates and thus work from their points of view. (Cullers 1970, p. 360).

Besides, the article acts as a stamp on the manager’s role in an organization; which is both being a leader and an influence. Through the realization that their expression is crucial in determining the mood, emotions, motivations, and performance, managers can effectively identify themselves with their roles. They can realize the positional difference between them and their subordinates and the meaning of this difference. As a result, they can work from their position to influence their followers (Porter et.al, 2003, p. 183). More importantly, the article greatly emphasizes on top-down approach form of organizational management. This gives motivation to managers in enhancing effective outcomes. Despite this, managers are provided with a clear guideline of emotional labor, how to effectively achieve them, and organizational and personal consequences associated with failure to apply them effectively (Schriesheim & Neider 2006, p. 70).

Explanations on arguments

As stated earlier, followers will always be influenced by observable emotional displays from their leaders. This is because; mood in an organization, according to (Porter et.al, 2003, p. 317), is “contagious.” This means that if the manager portrays a negative mood, the subordinates will identify with it, which will suppress their always average mood affecting their performances. “Leading with emotional labor” is one of the manager’s based strategies that enable leaders to use emotional displays to influence their followers. In other words, emotional expressiveness by leaders is charisma by itself, a very influential tool to follower’s motivation. Several studies have shown that through the influence of subordinate’s moods and emotional states, managers can either hinder or help employee performance. According to (Morris & Pinto 2007, p. 82) for instance, “leaders can either increase or decrease subordinates’ feelings of frustration, and accordingly soften or harden negative workplace events, such as obstacle to performance.” He as well states that “leaders with facilitative and transformational leadership styles help subordinates overcome the mood damaging effects of workplace obstacles.” Leaders have also been portrayed as only individuals who can effectively manage the emotions of other members of the group (Morris & Pinto 2007, p. 317).

Schriesheim & Neider (2006, p. 94) states that “leaders with the optimistic emotional display will increase group members’ positive moods and feeling of confidence, whereas leaders with negative emotional displays will increase group members’ negative moods and feelings of frustration.” This enables the leader to always check their mood for effective organizational outcomes as well as for their health. Through emotional infectivity, leaders can influence the workplace atmosphere and accordingly affect the employees’ performance. Also, through the exercise of positive mood display, managers will be able to develop deep mood acting, which will save them from psychological harm. Lundgren (1974, p. 217) notes “leaders who use surface acting to influence their followers will experience more stress and feelings of depersonalization than will leaders who use deep acting” (Marquis & Huston 2008, p. 61).

Reference list

Buchanan, D & Huczynski, A. 2004. Organizational Behaviour An Introductory Text. Edinburgh Gate: Pearson Education Limited Essex.

Cullers, B. 1970. Organizational management: public school superintendents and principals compared. Champaign: University of Illinois.

Elsbach, K. 2003. Organizational perception management. Champaing: Routledge.

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Judge, R et.al. 2008. Organizational behaviour, 5th edn, Melbourne: Pearson.

Lundgren, E. 1974. Organizational management,UK: Pearson Education Limited.

Luthans, F. 2005. Organizational Behavior, 10th edn, New York: McGraw Hill.

Marquis, B & Huston, C. 2008. Leaders roles and management functioning in nursing: Theory and application,Westmead: Lippincott William & Wilkins.

Michael, S & Jones H. 1973. Organizational management: concepts and practice. Kensington: Intext Educational Publishers.

Morris, P & Pinto, J. 2007. The Wiley guide to project organization & project management competencies. New York: John Wiley and Sons.

Naoum, S, 2001. People and organizational management in construction. Glenbrrok NSW: Thomas Telford.

Porter, L et.al. 2003. Organizational influence processes. New York: M.E. Sharpe.

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Schriesheim, C & Neider, L. 2006. Power and influence in organizations: new empirical and theoretical perspectives. New York: IAP.

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