Functionality, Intentionality and Morality

The field of research on affect and emotions in organizations is one that has garnered a great deal of enthusiastic attention and positive regard from scholars and practitioners alike. After little more than 10 years of research, organizational behavior scholars look to emotions as an important determinant of nearly every facet of workplace behaviour. The articles in this volume represent a selection of the best papers presented at the fifth International Conference on Emotions and Organizational Life (which was held in Atlanta, U.S.A, in August 2006), together with invited papers by some of the leading scholars in the field. The theme of this volume, Functionality, Intentionality and Morality, reflects an area of considerable importance in emotions research at this point in time. Collectively, the works presented expand our understanding of the boundary conditions of emotional influences in organizations, the ways in which emotions are intentionally used to influence organizational outcomes, the conditions that determine whether emotions influence to public detriment or good, and the what constitutes the moral and immoral use of emotions. The resulting commentary undoubtedly will assist scholars in focussing their research questions appropriately as well as provide guidance to managers and practitioners on the ‘who, what, when, where and how’ of emotions management.