Volunteers needed for UQ workplace productivity emotions study

Researchers at The University of Queensland Business School (UQBS) are trying to find out how peoples’ emotions can affect their work by investigating the impact of workers’ emotions on productivity.

Professor Neal Ashkanasy, who is coordinating this study, said it was clear that emotions were engaged in the workplace as much as anywhere else and that many people in the workplace understood this – at least intuitively.

“What’s not clear is whether emotional reactions to daily events affect productivity – either positively or negatively,” he said.

Professor Ashkanasy is seeking participants for this study, who will be required to respond to a series of questions on a palm pilot at various intervals during working hours, as well as completing a paper questionnaire at the end of each day for two weeks.

“To be eligible for the study you need to be working at least six hours a day and at least four days a week," he said.

Participants will go into a draw to win a Sony Playstation II.

Professor Ashkanasy also suggested that organisations could be interested in taking part by encouraging all of their employees to undertake the study.

“At the completion of the study, we could offer a full diagnostic report on the emotional climate of the entire organisation, at no cost to the company, which will provide managers with a valuable tool in human resource management,” he said.

Anyone interested in participating or wanting further information should contact Kaylene Ascough on 07 3365 4222 or e-mail k.ascough@uq.edu.au

Media: For more information contact Professor Neal Ashkanasy, telephone (07) 3365 7499, email n.ashkanasy@bel.uq.edu.au or Cathy Stacey, telephone (07) 3365 6179, mobile 0423 606 331, email c.stacey@business.uq.edu.au