Measurement and Control of Employee Emotional Responses and Contagions in Real-Time: Applications of an Emotional Leadership Paradigm Sociotechnical Plan
Introduction
This paper will
describe the real-time application of an emotional leadership paradigm (ELP)
sociotechnical plan to measure and control employee emotional responses and
contagions. The purpose of the ELP sociotechnical plan is to integrate
technology into organizational development by fusing people and technology.
First, the paper will explain three features and one limitation of the
innovation, followed by the purpose of showing why the plan is needed, including
the supporting forces, positive issues, and outcomes associated with the plan.
Next, the paper discusses the challenging forces of the plan development and
implementation. Degives visual models of the plan and how the ELP will be used
with monitoring the flow of emotions. The analytical plan explains the use of
emotional data for corrections and alignment of the organizational mission.
Anticipated results and conclusions detail results and outcomes, followed by
areas of future research recommendations and references.
The scope of this
Emotional Leadership Paradigm (ELP) sociotechnical plan is the introduction and
innovation of the following three technology features, as well as one
limitation. The three technological features are:
The one limitation
is the need for the software to measure and compile the data in a meaningful
way. This limitation is potentially compounded by the need for computing power
and bandwidth for real-time analysis of the data. Via technology, the
sociotechnical system will be used in organizational development to monitor,
measure, and help control emotional contagions in daily business operations.
The technology will be dynamic and can assist in measuring inputs and
performing outputs to help stabilize or contribute to emotional satisfaction
and increased performance.
Furthermore, the software would continually need improvements and updates as the body of knowledge on emotional-oriented computing and research is still in the early stages (Feidakis, 2011). The lack of an agreed-upon empirical method, combined with the complexity of emotions, has computer science and organizational change management (OCM) academics and practitioners debating a diversity of theories, models, and tools.
The purpose of the
sociotechnical plan is to create a technologically-integrated emotional
monitoring system for employees to help limit and control negative emotions and
help encourage and reinforce positive emotions to improve performance and job
satisfaction. Leaders who integrate an intelligent, emotional strategy in
organizational development lay the groundwork for success (Goleman, Boyatzis,
& McKee, 2013). Stakeholders, executive leaders, and managers can monitor
employees’ emotions at their desks, by using face recognition software that
measures emotions, body language, and brain activity by integrating infrared
and heat imaging. Other HID-like keyboards, mice, headsets, and even chairs can
measure contributing factors like body temperature and keystroke pressures for
aggression. Furthermore, watches, rings, and chairs can measure and
monitor perspiration, blood pressure, and heart rates. Similarly, other
wearables like glasses can additionally help measure engagement by tracking the
eyes and head movements. Additionally, hats or headsets could also measure
brain waves and be used to control computers.
The data can be stored and analyzed in real-time. Furthermore, depending on the software’s analysis abilities, leaders can use deep analysis over time to watch for trends. In real-time, leaders can see when one or more employees are stressing or having positive emotions and create contagions for organizational change to help motivate and influence teams. These analytics can also be used in phones and organizational apps that customers use to monitor customers' emotions. For example, if while on hold, the system recognizes an angry customer, it could potentially expedite that customer to a customer service representative to handle the issue faster, with increased satisfaction. In juxtaposition, if a customer service representative were having problems dealing with a difficult customer, the system could recommend an escalation to another representative to help diffuse the situation.
These are just preliminary examples of the uses of the emotional leadership sociotechnical plan. When used in conjunction with the ELP devices like phones and wearables, information can be detected 24/7 to input data from employees who work outside the office and attend “outside events” after work hours. See Figure 1.
The introduction
of the technology described above to the workforce will enable organizations to
better deal with the millennial generations, as well as all generations because
it will help individuals to cope better with organizational development and
leader-member exchanges (Dansereau, 1975). For example, suppose a worker goes
home and experiences a stressful life event, such as the unexpected death or
illness of a loved one. The watch, ring, or phone picks up emotional stress
from the employee, and the data is analyzed. Depending on the level of stress
and inputs, an automatic option to have an extended start time, a day off, or
work from home option might pop up on a message to help the individual better
deal with the situation or resolve personal issues. This way when the employee
comes to work, he or she can better focus and be more productive and would not
create distractions or negative emotional contagions in the office. Suppose
further that the same employee might be scheduled for an important
presentation, meeting, or other high-performance critical event or decision
happening at the office. The outside stressful event might foster a negative
emotional contagion in this already emotionally distressed employee, thus
potentially proving detrimental to the successful completion of that important
event or decision inside the organization.
Software, data
collection or corruption, analytics, privacy, and ethical concerns are all
issues that will present difficult challenges. The software is not yet
available and could take a considerable amount of R&D to develop and align
with the three forces mentioned to collect and measure the data. Artificial
intelligence (AI) could potentially aid in its development and refinement. Corrupt
or incorrectly measured data could give false readings, warnings, or incorrect
analysis, which could potentially put employees, leaders, and the organization
at risk. The data collection software would need to be compatible with the
analytic software. Options to use different AI software with the data
collection software would give a competitive advantage to the software
manufacturer and allow organizations to choose the analytic software that might
best fit their needs.
Employee and organizational privacy concerns, including security breaches, would be a big risk if the information got into the wrong hands or was manipulated by a third party to control outcomes undenounced to leaders. Vyas, (2019) reveals deep fakes using Generative Adversarial Networks (GAN) have two components a forger and detectives can be used to defraud or detect fraudulent images. Also, personal information collected outside the organization has the potential for someone to blackmail or commit other unethical behaviors. Organizations could sell sensitive data on the black market revealing the behaviors or emotional stability of the organization’s customers and employees.
Methods
The method used to
implement and execute the emotional leadership sociotechnical plan would need
to be a hybrid of the Delphi method and Agile software programming. The
strength of the Delphi method is that it can include both qualitative and
quantitative components collected from experts in their fields. The complexity
and a large number of unknowns will be useful in IT Service Management (ITSM)
in the Delphi method. The Delphi technique will help mitigate differentiating
opinions from panel experts for decision-making. Research by Santiago (2017)
revealed that Delphi methods worked well in project management, information
security, and organizational management in complex environments.
Combining the Agile software programing methodology with Delphi techniques would work well because they both rely on real-time information and releases in iterations to find, fix, and align expectations. The software maker could determine the form of the Agile methods, and depending on the industry, the form binge used would provide flexibility and lower risks to the developers and organizations using the software. Forms include, but are not limited to, scrum, crystal, extreme programming, or a feature-driven model. The development process uses collaboration in mini increments with deliverables that receive daily feedback and review. The Agile accelerated lifecycle delivery method is advantageous for organizations dealing with fast-paced changing marketplace environments and complex unknowns. The application of AI in the agile software programming could increase the accuracy and speed of development.
The focus of this
sociotechnical plan is to help leaders better manage the emotional contagions
for successful business administration. Leadership is an emotional process, and
leaders who use emotional intelligence (EI) will increase engagement (Humphrey,
2016; Miao, Humphrey, & Qian, 2016). A leader's ability to align the
mission with EI strategies will increase performance and employee satisfaction
(Miao et al., 2016). Furthermore, combining an integrated method of emotion
measurement with human-computer interaction (HCI) will give organizations the
ability for sensing, transmitting, understanding, interpreting, and experiencing
complex emotions. The sociotechnical plan will allow leaders to monitor,
measure, and evaluate emotions from employees and customers, and better control
emotional contagions in real-time.
Business administration is laden with social and emotional dynamics. The sociotechnical plan makes use of facial electromyography (EMG) with HCI devices like keyboards, touchscreen, mice with measuring sensors, and cameras which will include eye-tracking technology. Physiological measurement of skin conductance, heart rate, respiration, and brain activity will provide insights into emotions and cognitive responses (Lazar, 2017) because the measurement of emotional experiences is not usually verbal or language-based (Hazlett, 2007). For this reason, the computer software and AI will pull from various HCI devices including nonintrusive infrared thermography cameras. Physiological emotional measurement of infrared thermography includes neurological, electrical, and vascular responses (Clay-Warner, & Robinson, 2015). It has been demonstrated that specific physiological responses have distinct thermal imaging (TI) signatures that are clearly observed (Ioannou, 2014).
The use of the emotional leadership paradigm (ELP) (see Figure 1) and the proposed emotional sociotechnical plan (ESP) is best visualized with the contagions in the ELP with the emotional labor (EL) in the blue circular star interacting in the leader-member exchange (LMX) (Dansereau, 1975). EL is the management of mental and physical feelings and the processing of emotions during interactions (Lazarus & Folkmann, 1984). Inside (red) and outside (green) events also affect leaders’ and followers’ perceptions and are identified with the use of EL (see Figure 2).
Another analysis metric will measure the intensity of emotions displayed. The use of Galvanic Skin Response (GSR) in the analysis will increase accuracy in analysis and will delve into the unconscious triggers of emotional behavior. GSR is also referred to as Electrodermal Activity (EDA) or Skin Conductance (SC) and shows distinct emotional patterns that can be quantified statistically (iMotions, 2016). Additional benefits of the ESP are that it merges emotions and leadership, and it will also give insight into the cognitive and physical health of the individual. For example, monitoring skin functions with a watch or other HCI will help monitor thermo-regulation and immune system functions. Analyzing and combining data inputs will give a better high-level overview of an individual's health and well-being far beyond emotions.
The social impact
of the change will be mixed. Some will view it as invasive and a breach of
their privacy. Others won't care and will accept the technology with open arms.
Stakeholders and leaders will need to emphasize the need and benefits of the
technology for acceptance. For example, what if a customer service call could
measure the emotions of a customer before answering the call, using inputs from
the mobile app in which they are contacting the organization? What if the
beginning automated contact phone system coordinator was able to deduce and
prioritize a caller's distress or happiness, and then expedite and assign the
caller to the appropriate representative before the customer even spoke to a
human? How might that improve overall customer satisfaction? Who hasn’t yelled
at an automated system when it was slow or not connecting to the correct department?
How did that make you feel?
On the employee side of the anticipated results, what if your health was affecting your quality of work? Your biometrics reflected your immune system is low and needed time off. Your emotional responses were worsening, with anger and frustration integrating into your work. What if your organization told you to go home and take the day off with pay before you ask? How might employees view the system if the focus was on the need and benefits of serving the employee?
Furthermore, in cold and flu season identifying employees who are sick could also limit the spread of the cold, flu, and most recently, coronavirus—a potentially life-threatening disease. The added health monitoring in real-time of employees would benefit employee retention, satisfaction, and early warning of illnesses that could potentially limit the contagions of viral and biological sickness and diseases. Employers could offer sick employees unlimited days off which is a new trend proving successful on perceived productivity and work-life balance (De Jong, 2015). Sending sick employees home would continue workforce efficiency and productivity from healthy employees and offset any costs for additional personal days off for sick employees.
Leaders can use emotional data and analysis to better measure culture and create a harmony that is reinforced with policies and procedures inside and outside the office. Mobile internet traffic has surpassed PC-based internet traffic with more than 3.5 billion smartphones in 77% of Americans' hands (Deyan, 2019). Measurements from smartphones for this sociotechnical plan will enable unobtrusive emotion measurement in a scalable way to use facial coding and minute-by-minute analysis to increase insights into ad effectiveness and value to business administration.
Furthermore, the emotional recognition system can monitor employees’ and customers’ responses to the system and make automated corrections immediately. The ESP system analysis will monitor the effectiveness of the system and can send automated recommendations for improvements to certain individuals, teams, or departments. An approach that will help sell the benefits to users would be to introduce a “test period” and to incrementally implement the system to all individuals. Psychologically, this is advantageous for reluctant groups and individuals and allows stakeholders and leaders to promote specific features to those groups to enable them to see the need and value. Congruently, organizations will gain valuable insight into emotions, which in turn will increase performance and employee satisfaction during the introductory period. Data collection from introductory recipients will give a better understanding of the best way to introduce and tailor future implementation to other teams and individuals based on previous cultural analyses. International organizations with increased individual diversity may benefit the most for ESP by bridging the cultural gaps more quickly and more effectively.
Conclusion
Leaders who
understand emotional labor (EL), emotional regulation (ER), emotional
contagions (EC), and the use of emotional display rules (EDR) can reduce
resistance and increase performance with OCM in business administration
(Goleman, 1995; Salovey & Mayer, 1990). Banutu-Gomez (2016) suggested
organizations that adopt an employee culture-based OCM using technology
increase success. Human Capital Management (HCM) plays a strong role in
successful OCM and the decision-making process. Groysberg (2018) indicated
cultural analysis and decision-making would lead to long-term effects of
sustainable outcomes. When decision-making is combined with a polyarchal
approach to the integration of individuals, it can expedite strategic goals
(Valle & Levy, 2019). Adoption of EI strategies (Goleman, 1995; Salovey
& Mayer, 1990) and integration in leadership skills have been identified
(Kouzes & Posner, 2007) as effective applications in business
administration (Cherniss, 2010). Nanayakkara (2018) showed the implementation
and integration of technology increases successful outcomes. The use of ESP
technology will help integrate EI strategies, culture, and HCM with a
polyarchal approach to OCM for successful outcomes.
Understanding human emotions and their links to behaviors will help business leaders more effectively administer policies and procedures for successful outcomes. Business leaders must align the organizational change with the mission and vision of the organization. Psychology and neuroscience research continues to grow and to link emotions to better understand human behavior, cognition, and physical health. Applications of this technology will affect all industries including retail, education, gaming, entertainment, automobile, advertising, and social media, just to name a few.
Security and privacy are big concerns. This new technology will offer new opportunities to take security to higher levels by combining biotechnologies for multipoint confirmation of a person and the device. Multiple unique signatures from voice, face, and GSR create a more secure authentication for protection against unauthorized access. The pushback to be anticipated will be in the surrendering of personal privacy, similarly to recent laws like the USA Patriot Act of 2001. The line between surveillance for law enforcement purposes and intelligence gathering enacted for mass government surveillance and data mining are blurring personal privacy for the promise of security.
Ethics play a large role in concluding how this sociotechnical plan is administered and received. Organizations need to be clear on how, what, and why data will be used and then clearly communicate that to their employees—reinforcing the ethical behavior of the organization. Businesses seeking to make extra money must disclose this to employees. Many consumer data and data companies exist that are already creating profiles on individuals. In 2017 Acxiom provided up to 3,000 attributes on 700 million people, which grew to 10,000 attributes on 2.5 billion consumers in 2018 (see figure 4, Melendez, & Pasternack, 2019).
For all the reasons mentioned above in the conclusion, the need for the hybrid method of Delphi and Agile software programming is imperative. The fast-changing business administration demands, and disruptive technology, warrant the use of qualitative and quantitative mixed-methods approaches in the sociotechnical plan. Evidence-based management (EBM) promotes evidence-based decision-making in times of uncertainty which will increase the odds of successful outcomes (Rousseau, 2018). The complexity of disruptive technology, combined with the complexity of emotions and behaviors, lends itself to the Delphi method for decision-making and for projecting probable outcomes in yet an additionally complex global business environment (Santiago, 2017). The Delphi method is well suited with subject matter experts (SME) for private and public organizations (Szymaniec-Mlicka, 2014). Furthermore, Santiago (2017) showed the decision-making process with SMEs impacted cost controls, information security, and management structures in complex business administration. In summary, using Delphi techniques with Agile software programing processes will best align development and deliverables with an accelerated lifecycle in complex environments.
Areas of further
research will include implementing this sociotechnical plan into industries of
homeland security, banking, and public transit. The security features with
people’s unique infrared, voice, and face recognition have the potential to
securely expedite many checkpoints at airports, train, and bus stations, as
well as taxis and Uber. The security checks and payment of fares could be
linked into one system. The sociotechnical plan could be marketed for the
health benefits, such as refusing transport for people who were sick or
potentially had infectious diseases. Another example might be of the software
helping to find a mass shooter before he shot the gun.
Further aspects of research will include other HCI devices and software analytics for the applications and the development of applications for smart devices for smaller-scale sales and production. There were 204 billion apps downloaded in 2019 worldwide, and the projected revenues of mobile apps are $188.9 billion for 2020 (Deyan, 2019). Due to the lower expense of R&D involved in mobile applications, my recommendation is to diversify by simultaneously working on both mobile apps and larger implementations for corporate partners. Partnering with mobile device manufacturers to create advancements in the development of smartphones as HCI’s will be advantageous. Furthermore, merging the hardware with the advancements of software and analytics will be imperative for mass distribution to large organizations. The quick, low-cost sales and marketing to mobile applications like gaming, will have limited analytics, however, will increase product awareness and acceptance. The more advanced software and analytics products will be researched and marketed to larger corporations that have the money to pay and to partner with the sociotechnical plan.
In conclusion, the sociotechnical plan will be an integral part of sustainable competitive advantage in business administration. Flexibility in implementation and future development using the Delphi method is recommended due to the complexity of this plan. Accelerated lifecycles and collaborative feature-driven components will be advantageous for successful business administration.
