1. Organizational Behavior 1
Diversity, Emotions and Moods, and Work Teams
Valerie Emerson & Merranda Taunah
Cameron University – Organizational Behavior
November 24, 2015

2. Organizational Behavior 2
Abstract
The purpose of this report is to go a bit more in depth on a few specific topics related to
organizational behavior. While these three subjects are not inclusive of organizational behavior,
they are three very important subjects we feel should be fully understood by our classmates. The
topics this report will cover are: diversity, emotions and moods, and work teams. The sources of
information used for this report are three separate video clips from youtube.com and our student
textbook, Organizational Behavior.

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Section #1 – Diversity
Diversity is defined as “the extent to which members of a group are similar to, or different
from, one another” (Robbins 590). The video we have chosen for this topic is titled: What is
diversity in the workplace? This video relates diversity within different ecosystems, such as the
human body, with an organization’s ecosystem. Just as having a diverse set of organs keeps the
body functioning, having a diverse set of employees brings a range of viewpoints to the
organization. This allows the organization to stay ahead of the challenges that arise in the changing
world.
Surface-level diversity includes gender, race, religion, age and sexual orientation. This
level of diversity leads employees to judge one another based on stereotypes and assumptions.
However, as people begin to become acquainted with one another, these surface-level differences
become less important. This is when deep-level diversity sets in. Deep-level diversity is not as
noticeable as surface-level diversity because these attributes are communicated through verbal and
non-verbal cues. Deep-level diversity includes personal differences in attitudes, values, beliefs,
and personality. An example scenario between surface-level and deep-level diversity would be
Lovey, a minority female starting a job where Gilligan, a white American, works. At first Gilliland
treats Lovey different because of her culture and language. However, as time goes on and Gilliland
interacts more with Lovey, he tends to forget the surface-level differences, and begins to notice
their differing values, beliefs, and personalities. Some of these once thought differences, may end
up being similarities between the two, and eventually Gilligan and Lovey could work very well
together. The belief of workplace diversity is that people with differing life experiences can
contribute to the workplace in a meaningful way.

4. Organizational Behavior 4
In today’s society we are all about technology, this enables us to interact with customers,
merchants and employees all around the world, day or night. As businesses have become more
globalized, most companies are functioning within a diverse marketplace. Because of this, it’s
more important than ever to build a diverse workplace. Hiring and retaining a diverse work staff
lets your company reflect the world around you, and makes your organization better able to
develop fresh ideas and perspectives that will meet the needs of the entire marketplace. If an
organization employs only those who identify with a small portion of the world, your organization
will not have access to the insights, experiences and views of the entire marketplace.
In order to increase workplace diversity, organizations first need to identify what exactly
their needs are. Does the business match the demographics the business serves, or wants to serve?
If not, implement a hiring policy to increase diversity. Another way to increase diversity is to offer
diversity training within the workplace. Mangers need to understand the benefits of a diverse
workplace, since they will be implementing the policies, they should be fully committed to
supporting the organization. Offering different types of benefits, such as flexible schedules,
daycare, and communicating to new employees the company’s willingness to accommodate
cultural and religious holidays, can increase diversity. And last but not least, an organization
should give all good employees a reason to stay. Clearly communicate advancement opportunities,
and set up mentoring programs to build close working relationships. It is important to show
employees they have a future within the company.

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Section #2 – Emotions and Moods
Emotions are defined as “intense feelings that are directed at someone or something”
(Robbins 590). Moods are defined as “feelings that tend to be less intense than emotions and that
lack a contextual stimulus” (Robbins 593). The video we have chosen for this topic is titled:
Leading with Emotional Intelligence in the Workplace. This video is about business decisions,
and how on a daily basis we make decisions based on how we feel. Such as we feel choice A is
better than choice B, and therefore we choose choice A based on our feelings or gut decisions.
Emotions can be classified as either positive or negative. Positive emotions express
favorable feelings, such as enthusiasm, confidence or enjoyment. While negative emotions
express unfavorable feelings, such as apathy, uncertainty or displeasure. For most people
positive moods are more common than negative moods. Research indicates that when nothing in
particular is going on, most people will have a mildly positive mood, this is known as positivity
offset.
All moods can affect judgement, perception and well-being. The decision making effects
of bad moods can hinder a person’s job performance and can lead to poor decisions that affect
the company. Likewise, a positive mood can enhance creativity and problem solving. Emotions
are shared with moods. Emotions can cloud judgement and complicate social exchanges without
the person being aware of what is happening. A good manager can not only monitor and control
his own moods and emotions, but is also able to recognize emotional issues with his
subordinates.
Empathy is an emotional intelligence competency, which falls under social awareness. It
is the ability one has to step into another person’s shoes and become aware of their feelings and

6. Organizational Behavior 6
understand their needs. Empathy involves so much more than just sympathy, it takes time and
effort to understand and it means putting others ahead of yourself. Empathy in the workplace is
very important. Without empathy, people tend to go about their work without thinking or caring
how other people feel. We all experience moods, and we are limited when we only see from our
own perspective. Without thinking of others, it is easy to jump to conclusions and make our own
assumptions, unfortunately this leads to misunderstandings, bad feelings and poor morale. This
in turn leads to missed opportunities.
Emotional labor is defined as “a situation in which an employee expresses
organizationally desired emotions during interpersonal transactions at work” (Robbins 101). For
example if Gilligan and Lovey were flight attendants for Alaska Airlines and before work one
morning Gilligan and his wife had a terrible fight and hurtful words were exchanged, and while
on the way to work Lovey was involved in a minor motor vehicle accident that left her neck a
little sore. Once Gilligan and Lovey begin their jobs that day, their passenger’s onboard expect
Gilligan and Lovey to be friendly, cheerful and smiling. Therefore Gilligan and Lovey must
suppress their unhappiness and force a friendly, smiling demeanor. This expends emotional
labor, while also causing a bit of emotional dissonance.
Being able to regulate your mood is an affective workplace strategy. Being able to
acknowledge rather that suppress your emotional responses to certain situations and re-evaluate
events after they occur, proves to help people cope with difficult workplace situations. The most
affective path to a positive workplace is to employ positive-minded people and train managers to
regulate their emotions, moods and attitudes. “The best leaders manage emotions as much as
they do tasks and activities” (Robbins 108).

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Section #3 – Work Team
A Work team is defined as “a group whose individual efforts result in performance that is
greater than the sum of the individual inputs” (Robbins 596). The video we have chosen for this
topic is titled: Effective Teamwork - Workplace Team Building Training.
Teams are formed to meet work needs that an individual or a group of individuals cannot
meet as effectively. Although many groups are called "teams", not every work group is a team.
In a work group the focus is individual goals and accountabilities. Joint efforts are not needed to
get the desired result. A team's performance is measured mainly by what the team produces
collectively.
Teams share certain characteristics, which is a clearly defined mission and goals.
Teamwork is defined by a shared commitment both to the process and the product. This
commitment of the team is shown through development and use of team norms, ground rules, a
willingness to pay attention to group processes, and accountability.
There are five stages to team development. The first stage is forming, this is the stage that
allows team members get to know each and begin setting ground rules. The next stage is
storming, during this stage differences of opinion and conflicts being to emerge, unfortunately
development tends to stall, because of these differences. Once the second stage has subsided, the
third stage brings a sense of team identity, and the expectations for norms and behaviors are
reached. By the fourth stage members have feelings of accomplishment due to their task
expectations, this defines the role of each member. During this stage feelings of cohesion,
commitment and loyalty to each other have formed. The final stage is adjourning. This is where
the task has been completed and the team disbands.

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There are five types of teams. The first is problem-solving teams. Problem-solving teams
are groups of 5-12 employees from the same department that meet to discuss ways to improve
the work environment, however they rarely have the authority to implement their suggestions.
The self- managed work team is a group of 10-15 employees who take on the responsibilities of
former supervisors. The third team is a cross-functional team, which brings members together
from different work areas to accomplish a task. Virtual teams use computers to meet in order to
achieve their goals, and the final team is a multiteam system where two or more teams share the
same goal.
Teams should have the following characteristics to be successful:
1. Clear purpose
2. Open communication
3. Constructive conflict
4. Effective problem solving and decision making
5. Defined roles
6. Strong relationships
7. Procedure
8. Creativity
9. Measurement and self-assessment
10. Shared leadership
What makes a team effective? There are four contextual factors that determine the success
of a team. The team needs adequate resources from outside the group, leadership and structure,
climate of trust and performance evaluation and reward systems. The composition of this includes:

9. Organizational Behavior 9
 The ability and personality of the members.
 The team needs many different diverse members to fill the different roles
 Teams should be kept small for group effectiveness
 The process the team uses determines the effectiveness of the team.
 The team must have a common purpose, specific goals, and team efficacy
Teams are used often in the work place for tasks that cannot be done by an individual.
Teams are made up of many different people. Teams bring a lot more to the table because of their
diversity and moods. Teams have become a major part of the workplace, however, they are not
always the answer.

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References
Effective Teamwork - Workplace Team Building Training. Jwavideo, 2008. Film.
Leading with Emotional Intelligence in the Workplace. Dir. Carolyn Stern. 2014. Film.
Robbins, Stephen P., and Tim Judge. Organizational Behavior. 16th ed. Pearson, 2013. Print.
What Is Diversity in the Workplace? Grovo, 2015. Film.