Enhancing positive work relationships and the school environment : an exploratory case study of teachers' emotions : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Psychology at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
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Date
2010
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Massey University
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Abstract
The experience of work life is saturated with feelings or emotions (Ashforth
& Humphrey, 1995). For humans, as with any social animals, our survival and day
to day functioning rely heavily on the communication and perception of emotions
(Ashkanasy, Härtel, & Zerbe, 2000b). When attention is paid to increasing
awareness and understanding of emotion in our work lives, and how those emotions
affect others, there is potential to improve interpersonal interactions and develop
more positive, supportive work relationships. The work environment is largely
dependent on the quality of these relationships and connections between
organisational members (Carmeli, 2009).
Despite the centrality of work relationships within organisations, researchers
are yet to fully understand the dynamics and the processes that nurture and sustain
positive interpersonal relationships at work (Ragins & Dutton, 2007). Collegial
relationships are particularly important in organisations such as schools, where the
way that staff interact with one another not only affects their job performance and
the quality of their work life, but also the lives and learning abilities of their students.
The purpose of this study was to gain a deeper understanding how collegial
interactions, relationships, and the school environment may change when staff are
trained in emotional skills. This research was a smaller, parallel study contributing to
a larger three year project – Te Aniwaniwa: Warming up the Classroom Emotional
Environment. A mixed method approach utilised quantitative information from
questionnaires to assess the school environment and morale, and qualitative
information from weekly diaries of emotional interactions and semi-structured
interviews.
All of the teaching and support staff from a local primary school attended
workshops to enhance their emotional skills based on the Harvey-Evans (2003)
model of the classroom emotional environment. Although statistical analyses were
not sensitive enough to detect changes in quantitative data from questionnaires due
to a small sample size (N=18), qualitative information collected from weekly diaries
and interviews suggested that staff were noticing changes to their day to day
interactions with one another and improvements to their professional relationships. Interview themes highlighted some of the day to day behaviours and expectations
that may be important in laying solid foundations on which positive relationships can
be built. By delivering training to individuals within School A to enhance their
emotional skills, this programme encouraging the development of an atmosphere
where emotions could be expressed, understood and managed more effectively. The
implications of these results are not necessarily restricted to management and staff
relationships in schools but may also be extended to other occupational settings
where individuals are required to support one another and share ideas and resources.
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Keywords
Organisational psychology, Interpersonal relationships, Teachers, Emotion, Emotional skills