Managing Emotions and Conflict in the Workplace
Special Issue of Journal of Management & Organization
Volume 12 Issue 2 September 2006
iv+92 pages ISBN 978-0-9757710-9-9
A Special Issue of the Journal of Management & Organization
Editors:
Peter Jordan
Griffith Business School
Ashlea Troth
Griffith Business School
An understanding of behaviour in the work environment is not complete until we understand the nature and effect of human emotion. We all experience emotions that affect the way we feel and behave at work. This is particularly so in conflict situations where the level of interaction between individuals results in exposure to emotions on a regular basis. This special edition is aimed at improving our understanding of the links between emotions and conflict and the behaviours individuals engage in to cope with stressful situations that result from workplace conflict - in any organizational environment whether educational, health care or industrial.
Each of the articles identifies emotions as an important element in the workplace. Whether focussing on the difference between felt emotions and displayed emotions, identifying discrete emotions that emerge in workplaces, or the ephemeral effects of negative mood, each of the authors see emotion at the core of employee's reactions to workplace situations. A second common underlying theme of all the articles is that coping occurs within a difficult or challenging context, whether the situation involves working in a new team, managing work-family conflict, dealing with organisational change or coping in workplaces that require emotional labour. Acknowledging emotions and recognising coping strategies are essential skills for managers in the contemporary workplace.
The selected articles also use a range of different approaches to explore these issues such as the development of a theoretical model and empirical studies using both qualitative and quantitative methods. A particular strength of many of the articles is the populations they have drawn upon for their empirical research. Three of the papers employ work-based samples. These include a manufacturing industry sample and service and public sector samples. Clearly, emotions impact on a broad range of industries. In combination, these articles provide us with a broad perspective on emotions and coping with conflict in the workplace.
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