Meredith just brought her elderly mother to live at her house because of her mother’s current health problems

Meredith just brought her elderly mother to live at her house because of her mother’s current health problems. What are some options her firm might offer her to help alleviate the work-family conflict she will inevitably experience?

The most obvious and, perhaps, easiest option a firm could offer, would be a flexible schedule. Flextime usually requires the employee to work some core hours and then permits that employee to work the remainder either before the core time or after.

Telecommuting is a second option that the firm could consider. Again most firms require a set number of days or hours per week when the employee is physically working from the office. The remainder of days or hours are worked from home or other remote location.

Other options include work sharing, family leave among others.

161. What research findings support an organization’s attention to stress management programming?

Some of the research findings include:

Work-family conflict leads to lower job and life satisfaction.

Stressors are cumulative and can occur in trends.

Stress can be negative (distress) or positive (eustress).

Downsizing and job insecurity lead to greater stress, alcohol use and lower performance and creativity.

Stressed individuals have lower organizational commitment.

Stress can lead to internal manifestations like anger and irritability or external manifestations like high blood pressure and ulcers.

162. Should we all have a “good cry” sometime to relieve stress?

Though Mom may have told you to “let it all out, have a good cry”, that may not be the right answer. Research indicates that crying may not be as helpful as the old adage suggests. There is no evidence to support the hypothesis that crying improves your mood or health. In fact, one study suggested that venting only increases negative effects of negative emotions.

Some research suggests that laughter may actually be the best choice. Crying may intensify negative feelings and suggest to others that the issue really does bother you. Criers tended to be more depressed, anxious and hostile than those who did not cry.

163. Describe the Affective Events Theory and illustrate how it operates.

Affective Events Theory looks at how events cause different kinds of people to feel different kinds of emotions.

As an example, imagine that a co-worker unexpectedly brings you some of your favorite baked goods. You feel happy and surprised. The positive feelings you are experiencing cause you to want to do something that you had not planned before. So, you help someone else. The small moments of emotion can influence your job satisfaction. The more the employee experiences positive emotions, the more satisfied at work.

164. List the worst job you ever performed. Now describe how you used emotional labor in that position.

Emotional labor is the regulation of feelings and expressions for organizational purposes.

Imagine the worst job listed was customer service representative at a firm like Target. Complaining customers would make life in that job rather difficult.  

Imagine one of those customers brought in a damaged good. He is complaining bitterly. You simply smile and tell him that you have a full return policy up to thirty days after the purchase. Though the customer is ranting and raving, you are smiling and practicing surface acting.

Deep acting may be an alternative. In deep acting, you empathize with the customer. Again, the customer is ranting and raving and you put yourself into his shoes and actually note that you experienced the same difficulty when you purchased the same item.

Genuine acting is when individuals are asked to display emotions that are aligned with their own.

165. An organizational behavior researcher suggests that not only should mental intelligence be assessed in each individual, but emotional intelligence should also be determined. Do you agree?

Answers will vary but most individuals will probably disagree.  

Either from a support or opposition viewpoint, the student can discuss the various building blocks. Self-awareness, step one is something that all individuals should complete. What are you well versed in, what are your shortcomings? How can you improve on the negatives and cultivate the positives?

Self-management is the phase where you can direct your emotions in a particular manner when needed. Again, it is not a problem knowing how to direct and control your emotions and the relevant aspects of the audience supporting them.

Social awareness is when you are able to understand how others feel. Empathy is a difficult concept, and may not be something many students will feel is a necessity.

Relationship management is when you help others manage their emotions. Since many individuals have difficulty managing their own, this may not be a very

well-supported aspect of the emotional intelligence question.