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Rethinking reappraisal: The double-edged sword of regulating negative emotions in the workplace

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  • Feinberg, Matthew
  • Ford, Brett Q.
  • Flynn, Francis J.

Abstract

Cognitive reappraisal can benefit employees, in terms of their emotional health. However, we propose that reappraisal can also entail hidden costs. Drawing on social-functionalist emotions theory, we posit that the use of reappraisal to control negative self-conscious emotions (guilt and shame) results in both positive employee outcomes (increased satisfaction, decreased burnout) and negative employee outcomes (increased counterproductive workplace behaviors (CWBs)). In Study 1, employees who used reappraisal to control guilt and shame were more satisfied and less burnt out, but also more likely to engage in CWBs. In Study 2, employees described what CWBs they would engage in if they faced no consequences: those using reappraisal to control guilt and shame reported more unethical CWBs and a greater willingness to actually perform the behavior. Study 3 assessed working MBA students in a live interaction (a heated negotiation), finding those who used reappraisal to control guilt and shame behaved more unethically. Studies 4 and 5 experimentally manipulated the use of reappraisal to control guilt and examined its effect on CWBs. Individuals in the reappraisal condition were more likely to withhold valuable resources from task partners (Study 4) and cheat on a work task (Study 5) than individuals in a control condition, providing causal evidence that reappraisal led to more CWBs.

Suggested Citation

  • Feinberg, Matthew & Ford, Brett Q. & Flynn, Francis J., 2020. "Rethinking reappraisal: The double-edged sword of regulating negative emotions in the workplace," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 161(C), pages 1-19.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jobhdp:v:161:y:2020:i:c:p:1-19
    DOI: 10.1016/j.obhdp.2020.03.005
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Judge, Timothy A. & Larsen, Randy J., 2001. "Dispositional Affect and Job Satisfaction: A Review and Theoretical Extension," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 86(1), pages 67-98, September.
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    3. Taya Cohen & A. Panter & Nazli Turan, 2013. "Predicting Counterproductive Work Behavior from Guilt Proneness," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 114(1), pages 45-53, April.
    4. Weiss, Howard M. & Nicholas, Jeffrey P. & Daus, Catherine S., 1999. "An Examination of the Joint Effects of Affective Experiences and Job Beliefs on Job Satisfaction and Variations in Affective Experiences over Time," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 78(1), pages 1-24, April.
    5. Vanessa K. Bohns & Francis J. Flynn, 2013. "Guilt by Design: Structuring Organizations to Elicit Guilt as an Affective Reaction to Failure," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 24(4), pages 1157-1173, August.
    6. Taya Cohen, 2010. "Moral Emotions and Unethical Bargaining: The Differential Effects of Empathy and Perspective Taking in Deterring Deceitful Negotiation," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 94(4), pages 569-579, July.
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    Cited by:

    1. Zhu, Lily Yuxuan & Bauman, Christopher W. & Young, Maia J, 2023. "Unlocking creative potential: Reappraising emotional events facilitates creativity for conventional thinkers," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 174(C).

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