{"id":192,"date":"2016-11-18T03:16:25","date_gmt":"2016-11-18T08:16:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/businessessentials\/chapter\/7-6-the-role-of-ethics-and-national-culture\/"},"modified":"2022-02-25T22:06:37","modified_gmt":"2022-02-26T03:06:37","slug":"7-6-the-role-of-ethics-and-national-culture","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/businessessentials\/chapter\/7-6-the-role-of-ethics-and-national-culture\/","title":{"raw":"9.6 Emotions and Ethics","rendered":"9.6 Emotions and Ethics"},"content":{"raw":"
\r\n

Emotions and Ethics<\/h2>\r\n

We have seen before how a gap between our true feelings and the feelings we display at work can cause distress. What happens when there is a gap between our feelings and our true beliefs?<\/p>\r\n

Joshua Greene is a philosopher and neuroscientist who uses magnetic imaging of the brain to show how our minds and bodies react to difficult questions. In one example, Greene asked a group of subjects to consider a situation in which a trolley is racing down a track, about to kill five people. The subjects have the ability to steer the trolley onto another track, where it will kill only one person. Most agree this feels like the right thing to do\u2014the best of possible evils.<\/p>\r\n

Greene then asks his subject to consider the same situation with one major shift: In this case, to save the five bystanders the subject must push a large man in front of the trolley to stop it in its tracks.<\/p>\r\n

This time, Greene\u2019s subjects felt the sacrifice was emotionally wrong. Greene\u2019s research shows that the difference between his subjects\u2019 valuations of life in these cases was that the second was more emotional. The thought of pushing someone to his death, understandably, had brought up strong feelings among the group. If humans were computers, one person\u2019s death might be seen as \u201cless bad\u201d than the death of five. But human decisions are based on emotion. It was considered emotionally\u2014and therefore, morally\u2014unacceptable to push the man in front of the trolley to save five others.<\/p>\r\n

Greene\u2019s magnetic images of his subject\u2019s brains showed that while considering the second scenario, people were using more of their brains. Greene writes, \u201cThese differences in emotional engagement affect people\u2019s judgments\u201d (Greene, et al., 2001).<\/p>\r\n

Emotions are a powerful force in work and life. They are spontaneous and unpredictable elements of human beings that separate us from machines, and in some moments, from one another. By learning to identify and maximize the uses of our emotions at work, we can more appropriately respond to emotional situations.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n

\r\n

Lack of Leisure Time and Stress Around the Globe<\/h2>\r\n

As economist Steven Landsburg notes, \u201cCompared with Europeans, Americans are more likely to be employed and more likely to work longer hours\u2014employed Americans put in about 3 hours more per week than employed Frenchmen. Most important, Americans take fewer (and shorter) vacations\u201d (Landsburg, 2006). That is if they take a vacation at all. Even when Americans take vacations, it is still common for them to check in with work while on vacation (Sampson, 2019). In Canada, most employees are entitled to two weeks of paid vacation, yet only one-third of Canadians actually take vacation (Desjardins, 2018). Another study found that when Canadians do take time off, many of them have a hard time taking work off of their mind while away on vacation (Benefits Canada, 2018).<\/p>\r\n

Juliet Schor, a senior lecturer in economics and director of women\u2019s studies at Harvard University, adds to the portrait of the overworked American with a shocking statistic on Americans\u2019 free time. According to Schor\u2019s book, The Overworked American: The Unexpected Decline of Leisure<\/em>, Americans have 16.5 hours per week of leisure time after their work and household obligations are fulfilled (Schor, 1993). This is a huge concern, as research has established that recovery is a key to well-being and that the lack of recovery can lead to health concerns associated with stress (Sonnentag & Ziljlstra, 2006). Even more challenged for leisure time are some Japanese employees, working an average of 236 more hours per year than their American counterparts and 500 more hours than employees in France or Germany (Nishiyama & Johnson, 2006). Leisure and recovery are key aspects to remaining healthy throughout one\u2019s lifetime.<\/p>\r\n

While Europeans normally plan on taking the month of August off, Americans do not have a similar ritual. PricewaterhouseCoopers became so concerned that they have instituted a 10-day shutdown as a winter break and a 5-day shutdown around July 4 so that everyone takes that time off without feeling peer pressure to work through vacations.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n

Conclusion<\/h2>\r\nStress is a major concern for individuals and organizations. Exhaustion is the outcome of prolonged stress. Individuals and organizations can take many approaches to lessening the negative health and work outcomes associated with being overstressed. Emotions play a role in organizational life. Understanding these emotions helps individuals to manage them. Emotional labour can be taxing on individuals, while emotional intelligence may help individuals cope with the emotional demands of their jobs.\r\n
\r\n
\r\n

Key Takeaway<\/h3>\r\n

Emotions play a role in shaping what we feel is ethical and what is not. Leisure time is important for avoiding the exhaustion phase of the stress cycle. Countries vary a great deal in how many hours the average worker puts in at work, with Japan working the most hours, followed by those in the United States.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n

\r\n

Exercises<\/h3>\r\n
    \r\n \t
  1. Explain a time when you have seen emotions help someone to be more<\/em> ethical than they might have otherwise been.<\/li>\r\n \t
  2. Explain a time when you have seen emotions help someone to be less<\/em> ethical than they might have otherwise been.<\/li>\r\n \t
  3. Why do you think some countries have so much vacation time compared to others? In your opinion, is this a problem or not? Why?<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n

    References<\/h2>\r\nBenefits Canada. (2018). Canadians to leave 40 million vacation days unused in 2018: Report.\u00a0Benefits Canada,\u00a0<\/em>retrieved May 20, 2020 from https:\/\/www.benefitscanada.com\/benefits\/other\/canadians-to-leave-40-million-vacation-days-unused-in-2018-report-120471\r\n\r\nDesjardins, L. (2018). Vacation time taken by only one in three Canadian workers.\u00a0Radio Canada International,<\/em> retrieved May 30, 2020 from https:\/\/www.rcinet.ca\/en\/2018\/05\/29\/employees-skip-holidays-canada\/\r\n\r\nEgan, T. (2006). The rise of the shrinking-vacation syndrome. New York Times<\/em>. Retrieved June 1, 2008, from http:\/\/travel2.nytimes.com\/2006\/08\/20\/us\/20vacation.html<\/a>.\r\n\r\nGreene, J., Sommerville, R. B., Nystrom, L. E., Darley, J. M., & Cohen, J. D. (2001, September). An MRI investigation of emotional engagement in moral judgment, Science<\/em>, 2105\u20132108.\r\n\r\nLandsburg, S. (2006, May 23). Why Europeans work less than Americans. Forbes<\/em>. Retrieved June 1, 2008, from http:\/\/www.forbes.com\/2006\/05\/20\/steven- landsburg-labor_cx_sl_06work_0523landsburg.html<\/a>.\r\n\r\nNishiyama K., & Johnson, J. (2006). Karoshi\u2014death from overwork: Occupational health consequences of Japanese production management. The Fordism of Ford and Modern Management: Fordism and Post-Fordism. Volume 1<\/em> [e-book]. An Elgar Reference Collection, 462\u2013478.\r\n\r\nSampson, H. (2019, August 28). What does America have against vacation? Washing Post\u00a0<\/em>Retrieved from https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/travel\/2019\/08\/28\/what-does-america-have-against-vacation\/\r\n\r\nSchor, J. B. (1993). The overworked American: The unexpected decline of leisure<\/em>. New York: Basic Books.\r\n\r\nSonnentag, S., & Zijlstra, F. R. H. (2006). Job characteristics and off-job activities as predictors of need for recovery, well-being, and fatigue. Journal of Applied Psychology<\/em>, 91<\/em>, 330\u2013350.","rendered":"
    \n

    Emotions and Ethics<\/h2>\n

    We have seen before how a gap between our true feelings and the feelings we display at work can cause distress. What happens when there is a gap between our feelings and our true beliefs?<\/p>\n

    Joshua Greene is a philosopher and neuroscientist who uses magnetic imaging of the brain to show how our minds and bodies react to difficult questions. In one example, Greene asked a group of subjects to consider a situation in which a trolley is racing down a track, about to kill five people. The subjects have the ability to steer the trolley onto another track, where it will kill only one person. Most agree this feels like the right thing to do\u2014the best of possible evils.<\/p>\n

    Greene then asks his subject to consider the same situation with one major shift: In this case, to save the five bystanders the subject must push a large man in front of the trolley to stop it in its tracks.<\/p>\n

    This time, Greene\u2019s subjects felt the sacrifice was emotionally wrong. Greene\u2019s research shows that the difference between his subjects\u2019 valuations of life in these cases was that the second was more emotional. The thought of pushing someone to his death, understandably, had brought up strong feelings among the group. If humans were computers, one person\u2019s death might be seen as \u201cless bad\u201d than the death of five. But human decisions are based on emotion. It was considered emotionally\u2014and therefore, morally\u2014unacceptable to push the man in front of the trolley to save five others.<\/p>\n

    Greene\u2019s magnetic images of his subject\u2019s brains showed that while considering the second scenario, people were using more of their brains. Greene writes, \u201cThese differences in emotional engagement affect people\u2019s judgments\u201d (Greene, et al., 2001).<\/p>\n

    Emotions are a powerful force in work and life. They are spontaneous and unpredictable elements of human beings that separate us from machines, and in some moments, from one another. By learning to identify and maximize the uses of our emotions at work, we can more appropriately respond to emotional situations.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

    \n

    Lack of Leisure Time and Stress Around the Globe<\/h2>\n

    As economist Steven Landsburg notes, \u201cCompared with Europeans, Americans are more likely to be employed and more likely to work longer hours\u2014employed Americans put in about 3 hours more per week than employed Frenchmen. Most important, Americans take fewer (and shorter) vacations\u201d (Landsburg, 2006). That is if they take a vacation at all. Even when Americans take vacations, it is still common for them to check in with work while on vacation (Sampson, 2019). In Canada, most employees are entitled to two weeks of paid vacation, yet only one-third of Canadians actually take vacation (Desjardins, 2018). Another study found that when Canadians do take time off, many of them have a hard time taking work off of their mind while away on vacation (Benefits Canada, 2018).<\/p>\n

    Juliet Schor, a senior lecturer in economics and director of women\u2019s studies at Harvard University, adds to the portrait of the overworked American with a shocking statistic on Americans\u2019 free time. According to Schor\u2019s book, The Overworked American: The Unexpected Decline of Leisure<\/em>, Americans have 16.5 hours per week of leisure time after their work and household obligations are fulfilled (Schor, 1993). This is a huge concern, as research has established that recovery is a key to well-being and that the lack of recovery can lead to health concerns associated with stress (Sonnentag & Ziljlstra, 2006). Even more challenged for leisure time are some Japanese employees, working an average of 236 more hours per year than their American counterparts and 500 more hours than employees in France or Germany (Nishiyama & Johnson, 2006). Leisure and recovery are key aspects to remaining healthy throughout one\u2019s lifetime.<\/p>\n

    While Europeans normally plan on taking the month of August off, Americans do not have a similar ritual. PricewaterhouseCoopers became so concerned that they have instituted a 10-day shutdown as a winter break and a 5-day shutdown around July 4 so that everyone takes that time off without feeling peer pressure to work through vacations.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

    Conclusion<\/h2>\n

    Stress is a major concern for individuals and organizations. Exhaustion is the outcome of prolonged stress. Individuals and organizations can take many approaches to lessening the negative health and work outcomes associated with being overstressed. Emotions play a role in organizational life. Understanding these emotions helps individuals to manage them. Emotional labour can be taxing on individuals, while emotional intelligence may help individuals cope with the emotional demands of their jobs.<\/p>\n

    \n
    \n

    Key Takeaway<\/h3>\n

    Emotions play a role in shaping what we feel is ethical and what is not. Leisure time is important for avoiding the exhaustion phase of the stress cycle. Countries vary a great deal in how many hours the average worker puts in at work, with Japan working the most hours, followed by those in the United States.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

    \n

    Exercises<\/h3>\n
      \n
    1. Explain a time when you have seen emotions help someone to be more<\/em> ethical than they might have otherwise been.<\/li>\n
    2. Explain a time when you have seen emotions help someone to be less<\/em> ethical than they might have otherwise been.<\/li>\n
    3. Why do you think some countries have so much vacation time compared to others? In your opinion, is this a problem or not? Why?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

      References<\/h2>\n

      Benefits Canada. (2018). Canadians to leave 40 million vacation days unused in 2018: Report.\u00a0Benefits Canada,\u00a0<\/em>retrieved May 20, 2020 from https:\/\/www.benefitscanada.com\/benefits\/other\/canadians-to-leave-40-million-vacation-days-unused-in-2018-report-120471<\/p>\n

      Desjardins, L. (2018). Vacation time taken by only one in three Canadian workers.\u00a0Radio Canada International,<\/em> retrieved May 30, 2020 from https:\/\/www.rcinet.ca\/en\/2018\/05\/29\/employees-skip-holidays-canada\/<\/p>\n

      Egan, T. (2006). The rise of the shrinking-vacation syndrome. New York Times<\/em>. Retrieved June 1, 2008, from http:\/\/travel2.nytimes.com\/2006\/08\/20\/us\/20vacation.html<\/a>.<\/p>\n

      Greene, J., Sommerville, R. B., Nystrom, L. E., Darley, J. M., & Cohen, J. D. (2001, September). An MRI investigation of emotional engagement in moral judgment, Science<\/em>, 2105\u20132108.<\/p>\n

      Landsburg, S. (2006, May 23). Why Europeans work less than Americans. Forbes<\/em>. Retrieved June 1, 2008, from http:\/\/www.forbes.com\/2006\/05\/20\/steven- landsburg-labor_cx_sl_06work_0523landsburg.html<\/a>.<\/p>\n

      Nishiyama K., & Johnson, J. (2006). Karoshi\u2014death from overwork: Occupational health consequences of Japanese production management. The Fordism of Ford and Modern Management: Fordism and Post-Fordism. Volume 1<\/em> [e-book]. An Elgar Reference Collection, 462\u2013478.<\/p>\n

      Sampson, H. (2019, August 28). What does America have against vacation? Washing Post\u00a0<\/em>Retrieved from https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/travel\/2019\/08\/28\/what-does-america-have-against-vacation\/<\/p>\n

      Schor, J. B. (1993). The overworked American: The unexpected decline of leisure<\/em>. New York: Basic Books.<\/p>\n

      Sonnentag, S., & Zijlstra, F. R. H. (2006). Job characteristics and off-job activities as predictors of need for recovery, well-being, and fatigue. Journal of Applied Psychology<\/em>, 91<\/em>, 330\u2013350.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":923,"menu_order":6,"template":"","meta":{"pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":["author-removed-at-request-of-original-publisher"],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[61],"license":[],"class_list":["post-192","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry","contributor-author-removed-at-request-of-original-publisher"],"part":169,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/businessessentials\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/192","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/businessessentials\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/businessessentials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/businessessentials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/923"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/businessessentials\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/192\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1018,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/businessessentials\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/192\/revisions\/1018"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/businessessentials\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/169"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/businessessentials\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/192\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/businessessentials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=192"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/businessessentials\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=192"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/businessessentials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=192"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/businessessentials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=192"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}