Despite how much we know about emotion, Social Functions of Emotion and Talking About Emotion at Work uniquely examines the utility of emotion in organizations against the ways in which both individuals and groups talk about them. Drawing on psychological and sociological research, this book provides groundbreaking insights for understanding how emotions are used in the workplace. Bringing together contributions from leading emotion researchers, this book features chapters focusing on 10 emotions, ranging from awe to shame. Through its exploration of the ways each emotion functions in relation to how we talk about them, this book injects fresh theoretical and practical momentum into how our discussions of workplace emotion can affect how emotional events are appraised over time and place. This, in turn influences the causes, expressions, and consequences of emotions in the workplace. With its novel approach, this book will be an invaluable tool for academics researching emotion, as well as postgraduate students working in the social sciences seeking reference material on emotion. HR managers and general readers seeking greater insight into emotions at work will also find this book to be a useful tool. Contributors include: N.M. Ashkanasy, R.A. Baron, S. Connelly, M. Dasborough, C.D. Fisher, D. Geddes, P. Harvey, M.L.A. Hayward, P.J. Jordan, S. Kiffin-Petersen, H.C. Lench, D. Lindebaum, K.E. Moura, K.A. Perez, R.H. Smith, R.K. Smith, P.N. Stearns, A.C. Troth, M.R. Turner, K.L. Tyran, T.S.H. Wingenbach

Emotion is often used by organizations to manipulate and repress workers. However, this repression can have adverse psychological and social consequences for them. This book articulates the pathways through which this repression occurs, and offers emotion regulation as a tool for workers to emancipate themselves from this repression and social control. Bringing together the largely unconnected literatures on critical theory and emotion regulation, this book articulates two pathways to social control currently underexplored in management: one where the social functions of emotion are exploited, and one where discussions about emotion override its social function. The author illustrates the processes through which workers can start to `see through' the repression, and enlist emotion regulation strategies to emancipate themselves from it. These strategies may work in the short to medium term but, in the long term, workers may eventually change jobs. If staff turnover becomes unsustainable, the organization can seek to change the social structures causing the repression of workers in the first place. Combining fresh theoretical insights with practically informed vignettes, this book will appeal to academics and students across many social science disciplines, including business studies, organization studies, cognitive change, sociology and psychology. Both practising managers and disenchanted workers will also find this an enlightening read.