Myeong-Gu Seo is Associate Professor of Management and Organization at the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business. His primary areas of research regard issues relating to work-related emotions, organizational- and institutional-change. Seo received the 2001 Best Doctoral Student Paper from the Academy of Management's Organizational Development and Change Division.
SMITH BRAIN TRUST – You might not know the truth about the employee in the office next door. He or she could be hiding something – an invisible disability, such as anxiety, depression, ADHD, a sleep disorder, chronic pain or illness.
How Moods and Emotions Add Up to Organizational Effectiveness
Sure, people’s moods factor in to how their workday goes, but until now, research has largely ignored how feelings and emotions collectively affect organizational outcomes on the whole.
The research finds that organizations that harness employees’ moods and feelings — and actively manage and help workers with disruptive emotions — outperform organizations that ignore emotions or force members to suppress undesirable ones.
All those emotions you've been bottling up in the workplace in the interest of projecting a professional image? You might have been better off letting some of them fly free. Recent research from Smith School associate professor Myeong-Gu Seo finds that workplaces where employees feel comfortable expressing their feelings tend to be more productive, creative and innovative. For years, office culture has instilled the idea that emotion has no place in the workplace, Seo says, and that "emotion is the opposite of rationality." Now, a growing body of evidence across disciplines suggests that's not true. Read more...
Congratulations, you just got a stretch assignment! This means your boss trusts you and sees leadership potential. But beware. New research from the Smith School shows potential pitfalls. The same assignment that can inspire engagement and critical thinking also can trigger self-doubt and anxiety. Co-authors Myeong-Gu Seo and Kathryn M. Bartol say some people cope well, while others crumble under the pressure and even make plans to leave the organization. The difference often depends on a person's level of emotional intelligence. Read more...
“It’s a mixed bag. On the one hand you’re excited about the challenge that’s involved, but you also perceive the threats.”
Kathryn M. Bartol
Co-director, Center for Leadership, Innovation and Change (CLIC)
Research by Myeong-Gu Seo
Myeong-Gu Seo is Associate Professor of Management and Organization at the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business. His primary areas of research regard issues relating to work-related emotions, organizational- and institutional-change.
