Is It Possible to Manage Peoples Values and Emotions - Essay Example

IS IT POSSIBLE TO MANAGE PEOPLE’S VALUES AND EMOTIONS? Introduction In this essay, I shall be explaining with the help of references and logical reasoning as to why management of a person’s behaviour, emotions and values is possible. Moreover, I would also be explaining ways in which such modification and modulation is possible with the help of examples from various aspects and fields of life. Section 1 shall commence with the definitions of the three important terms in the title of this essay; emotions, values and management. It is important to have an insight of the basic meaning and underlying foundation of these terms in order to embark upon the journey to modify them. I shall be moving ahead after defining emotions in words of Dess (2010), values and finally the management of these features using the work of Totterwell (2012). In the next section, there would be a description of certain ways in which emotions can be controlled, modified in a workplace and in other environments as well while at the same time creating a distinction between suppression of an emotion its modification (Ostell, Baverstock, Wright 2012). There would be present some explanation of the how Paarlberg and Perry (2007) classify the management of values under the social context along with Willmott’s (1993) study bringing to light the setbacks faced by people over time due to mismanaged emotions in work settings. In the third section of this essay, I shall be elucidating the positive implications of management of emotions and values with reference to the works of Karp, Tanarugsachock (2000) and Shipman, Zeeman, Penza, and Champion (2000) stressing upon the fact that emotion management has long been used in treating patients of mental disorders like anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder etc. Section 1: Defining Emotion, Values and Their Management Emotions are defined as a conscious experience that includes a state of (physiological) arousal and a mediating interpretation (Dess 2010). Keeping in mind this definition, emotion puts emphasis on two factors, arousal and an attempt on part of the experiencing person or animal to label the experience (Dess 2010). Values on the other hand refer to the beliefs of a set of people or a community regarding the ideas of good and bad, just and unjust, righteous and evil. They are the shared beliefs of a culture which guide a person’s manner in which he expresses his emotions in a situation and his attitude towards it. Emotions and values form an integral part of one’s life, both on individual level and at the level of community. Modulating one’s behavior is important in everyday dealings. Raw or untamed emotions tend to project in a fashion less suited to the survival of man in the society. Emotions have the power to affect the health of a person in all three aspects, physical, mental and social (WHO 1946). They are a reflection into the internal feelings of a person and need to be an accurate projection of what a person is going through. This is important both for the individual himself and the people around him as well. For this matter, it is important to manage them in a way that makes the reaction of that particular individual or group of individuals fit for the situation at hand. This management is done both by the concerned person and also by others such as the company in which he is working, his work place or family members, etc. According to Totterdell (2012) management of emotions and values refers to “The ways in which people influence their own feelings and expressions and the ways in which they influence other people’s feelings”. He further elucidates that it is second nature to man that in any work environment he modulated and modifies his emotions by engaging in emotion management, a part of which is the contribution of the employer of that particular setting. Emotions need to be managed properly in order for a person to exert properly in a work environment, and in his dealing with other people. This is because through projection of one’s feelings and values, a person not only affects his own working but also modulates and influences the working of other people with whom he interacts. All these aspects point towards the mental wellbeing of a person and therefore through proper management can also lead to the improvement of health. Section 2: Ways of Managing Emotions and its Importance Management of emotions is such a wide base scenario that it incorporates in it several different aspects of everyday life. In a work environment, a person can manage his emotions by using to strategies; surface acting and deep acting (Totterdell 2012). Surface acting is the technique by which a person may project or express emotions that are required of him by not feeling them from inside. Deep acting on the other hand requires a person or an employee to actually feel the emotion that is required of him. While discussing the management of emotions and values, it should be kept in mind that management and suppression of emotion are two different entities and are not to be confused. By management, one simply means to tackle an emotion in such a way as to adjust it in a way positive and fruitful for the concerned people. It simply aims to avoid the adverse or harmful consequences that may result from un-modulated behavior of an individual (Ostell, Baverstock, Wright 2012). Coming to the management of values, Paarlberg and Perry (2007) are of the view that values management comes under the category of an aspect of social sciences. They believe that this process of values’ management results from routine and everyday interactions. However, it is also true that by using formal management systems in work environments, the values of employees can be modified such that they provide for the opportunities by which a person can enhance social interactions too (Paarlberg, Perry 2007). The importance of management of values and emotions can be further elaborated by considering the hazardous consequences of its failure or complete absence. In an environment where emotions are allowed to run wild, it may lead to conflicts in settings where there is a clash of feelings and where two peoples do not share the same emotions towards a scenario. This has been witnessed over the ages in the form of clashes, disputes, fights, strikes and in other manifestations in the settings of a work environment (Willmott 1993). Outside a work environment, this is seen in cases whenever two persons with different or opposing opinions are unable to modify their behavior and do not show malleability with regards to their emotions. Emotion and values management forms a basic component of anger management staring from the level of an infant all the way to an old age citizen. By managing these aspects of human behavior, a group of people can move towards a setting of better understanding tolerance and a productive environment. SECTION 3: Implications, Examples Of Management Of Values And Emotions Almost every action of man is driven by some underlying emotion or a set of values, be it positive or negative. Emotions and values provide us with a driving force that guides us in our life. In order for us to choose the accurate and correct path, we need our emotions to work sensibly for us. This intelligence can only be imparted by means of rigorous modulation and management of our values and emotional attributes. There are present a number of ways in which values and emotions are being managed for the betterment of a person. The importance of such management can be further explained by considering the use of emotions management in the treatment of Post-Traumatic-Stress-Disorder, Anxiety, and Panic Disorder (Karp, Tanarugsachock, 2000) and in dealing with victims of sexual abuse among others (Shipman, Zeeman, Penza, and Champion 2000). In various psychological illnesses mentioned above, it is not possible to merely rely on the outcome of pharmacological interventions and this is the stage where the emotions management jumps in. Through mental health enhancing exercises with the help of trained professionals, these mentally ill individuals show considerable improvement in compliance as well as the treatment outcome (Karp, Tanarugsachock 2000). Similarly, in young female victims of sexual abuse, it was seen that with continuous behavior modifying exercises, considerable improvement was seen as far as mental rehabilitation was concerned. Such patients tend to be easier to handle and deal with and also they are more ready and compliant to sharing their deep rooted negative and harmful emotions. In short, management of emotions and values of a person is possible and currently being employed throughout the world in behavior modulation. With the emerging needs of the modern era, it has become necessary that a person be fit enough to carry out his duties in the best possible manner. Not only this, but also required of him is to be a better contributing member towards the betterment of his external environment. In other words, this is a warped form hinting towards ‘survival of the fittest’ and it is mandatory for every human being to be a part of this process of values’ and emotions’ management as a step to attain wholesome health. Conclusion This essay was a reflection on the importance of emotions and values management. In this piece of writing, I have tried to establish the fact that management of values and emotions of people is possible in every sense of word. Not only this but also I have elaborated the applications of this methodology in various aspects of human life with the help of citations and references. Beginning with the definitions of terms like values, emotions and management, this essay formulates a link between the success of human social behavior and modulation of behavioral aspect of human nature. This essay has been divided into three sections, each dealing with a separate yet interrelated component of the overall discussion. The essay moves towards conclusion after discussing examples of management of behavior in medical field and in sociology. In short, this essay is a brief reflection into the widely applicable practice of values management and emotion management. Reference List Dess N. (2010) Emotion-a unit lesson plan for high school psychology teachers [online] retrieved 4th December 2012 from: http://www.apa.org/ed/precollege/topss/lessons/emotion.pdf Karp DA, Tanarugsachock V. (2000) Mental Illness, Caregiving, and Emotion Management Qualitative Health Research January 2010 10(1): 6-25 [online] doi: 10.1177/104973200129118219 [assessed 4th December 2012] Ostell A, Baverstock S, Wright P (2012) Interpersonal Skills of Managing Emotion at Work [online] Available at: http://www.thepsychologist.org.uk/archive/archive_home.cfm/volumeID_12-editionID_33-ArticleID_77-getfile_getPDF/thepsychologist/psy_01_99_p30-35_ostell.pdf [Accessed: 4 Dec 2012]. Paarlberg LE, Perry JL (2007) Values Management-Aligning Employee Values and Organization Goals The American Review of Public Administration 2007 Sage Publishers 37(4): 387-408 [online] [Retrieved 4th December 2012] DOI: 10.1177/0275074006297238 Shipman K., Zeman J, Penza S, Champion K (2000) Development and Psychopathology 2000 12(1): 47-62 [online] DOI: http://dx.doi.org/ [assessed 4th December 2012] Totterdell P. (2012) [online] Available at: http://esrccoi.group.shef.ac.uk/pdf/whatis/emotion_management.pdf [Accessed: 4 Dec 2012] Who.int (1946) [online] Available at: http://www.who.int/about/definition/en/print.html [Accessed: 4 Dec 2012]. Willmott H (1993) Strength Is Ignorance; Slavery Is Freedom: Managing Culture in Modern Organizations Journal of Management Studies 1993 30:4 [assessed on 4th December 2012] Read More