“Organization Behavior(MGT 502)” Assignment No. 2 Marks: 20 “OB Applications of Emotions and Moods”

“Organization Behavior(MGT 502)”
Assignment No. 2 Marks: 20
“OB Applications of Emotions and Moods”

Mr. Saad is the HR manager in one of the top cellular service providers. Higher management of
the company has decided to hire new “Customer relationship officers”, as number of customers
is increasing. In addition to that, most of the customers come from rural areas, which are
difficult to handle due to lack of education and language barriers. Looking at the fact and the
higher degree of complex social interaction, Mr. Saad decided to hire employees with higher
Emotional Intelligence (EI).
You are required to answer the following questions based upon the above mentioned scenario.
Question 1:
What is the reason that Mr. Saad decided to hire employees with higher Emotional Intelligence
(EI)? And how EI particularly helps in better customer service? (Marks 10)
Question 2:
In your opinion, how emotions and moods of these employees affect other job related factors?
(Marks 10)

Idea Solution:

Solution Question 1:

Given below is an article regarding Higher Emotional Intelligence for a Customer Relationship Officer, Which is best answer and reason f this decision.

Choosing the candidate with the most experience or the highest number of college degrees is not the only way to choose a new employee. Considerations must be made as to how this individual will work together with existing employees and be perceived by

customers. Even when the interviewee responds with the answers you want to hear, what unspoken information is the person giving you with non-verbal cues and other mannerisms? A manager with strong emotional intelligence skills will use more than education and experience information to make a hiring decision. This manager will be able to make a better decision because they will take into account how the applicant’s personality will fit into and benefit the team of the library.

Successful customer service skills are critical to any library. Customers need all types of assistance and information - how the customer perceives the level of customer service will predict return visits to the library. The role of empathy must be considered in the development of customer service skills. Empathy is the understanding of and sensitivity to the emotions and social cues of others; but how and why does this translate to greater success in providing excellent customer service? Successful people quickly get a “read” on co-workers and customers and can then spend time where it counts. For example, if a college student needs assistance finding information for a research project, the reference

assistant should realize that they would prefer to use different methods of research than a retiree, who may not be as technologically advanced and prefer conducting research using books instead of the internet, etc. Even though this may be the case most of the time, if the research assistant is “emotionally intelligent” they could recognize by listening or watching a retiree who would prefer to use computer technology for research by picking up on cues from them that they are computer savvy. (Example: by observing how proficient they are at using the computer system within the library or listening for details of their past career). The ability to read people on the spot and adjust interactions quickly means not wasting time on ineffective communications with others.

Following are some steps to consider in building empathy within the customer service skill set.

1. When someone is talking to you, ask yourself what emotion is underlying his or her words. The patron’s emotional mindset could vary depending on, for instance, whether they are in the library for their own enjoyment or they are conducting required research for work or school.

2. Try to put yourself in the other person's shoes. Can you understand his/her point of view even if you don't agree with it?

3. Try to anticipate the emotional reaction of other people in a given situation.

4. Watch people's non-verbal reactions to you. What do you think they are feeling based on their body language or other cues?

5. When someone says something you disagree with, actively listen to his or her statement. Do so in a nonjudgmental way. Notice the reaction that this causes.

6. When someone says something you agree with, stay silent about your views, drawing the other person out and prompting her/him to tell you more.

7. When listening to someone, ask that person to clarify the feelings behind his/her statement, not just the facts. For instance, you may ask the person if they need the materials for their own enjoyment, for a member of their

family, or for a work or school project?

8. Watch a television program without the volume, recording it for later review. Try to read the emotions that the characters are portraying. Watch the show again with the sound to determine how accurate you were in your assessment.

9. List ten people you think are extremely empathetic. Observe their interactions with others and list the qualities, both verbal and non-verbal, that you observe.

10. List ten people who you do not think show sensitivity to others. Observe their interactions with others and list the characteristics, both verbal and non-verbal, that you observe.

11. Ask someone who you think is very empathetic to coach or mentor you.

Solution Question 2:

Gauging job satisfaction is like measuring the tidewaters--both can change with the time of day. That's one reason why typical measures--such as surveys and polls --are not very useful, maintains Howard Weiss, professor of psychology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind. "Job satisfaction is one of the most misunderstood concepts in the science and practice of work behavior." Research shows that whether you rate your job satisfaction as high or low has little effect on work behaviors such as job performance, absenteeism, or turnover. "That's counterintuitive and will no doubt surprise the average manager."

Weiss, who studies job satisfaction, says daily events drive the emotional states of employees and thus affect their behavior and overall job satisfaction. While an unhappy employee can be productive and may decide for other reasons not to quit the job, his or her attitude may negatively impact fellow workers, customers, or clients.

A once-a-year survey of employee attitudes gives only a snapshot of office morale. "Too often, organizations assume that employees' feelings are constant," Weiss notes. "Actually, workplaces are more like emotional cauldrons, with daily circumstances influencing employee feelings and job performance."

In fact, daily turmoil may be the most important factor affecting job satisfaction. He suggests supervisors be "events managers," controlling to whatever extent possible the events that affect employees. For example, a boss yelling at workers may start a chain reaction of irritation as berated employees interact with others throughout the day. "It's particularly important to keep the number of negative events down, in order to minimize negative emotional states." Research shows that the negative effects of negative emotions affect job performance more than do the positive effects of positive emotions.

That negative impact may depend on the time of day, according to Weiss' findings on employee attitudes. In a study of 24 managers, he found that their moods on the job fluctuated in daily cycles, with the overall pattern being a low point first thing in the morning, with a rise throughout the day that peaked in mid-afternoon and stayed there. Thirty-six percent of the variance in the managers' moods was attributed to this cycle. "If you work in an environment that's fairly quiet and calm, these mood fluctuations might greatly influence your work," Weiss points out. "On the other hand, if your workplace is crazy, the changes in mood caused by daily cycles might go unnoticed."