This document provides instructions for a research project on emotional labor in the workplace. Students are asked to conduct background research on the concept of emotional labor using provided sources. They are then instructed to develop a survey to interview people working in different jobs about their experiences with and perspectives on emotional labor. Students must interview at least two people from three different work settings. Finally, students are to write a 5-8 page research paper summarizing their background research findings, field research findings, and overall analysis of emotional labor in workplace settings. The paper should follow an outlined structure and be properly cited. Upon completion, students will submit their paper for grading based on criteria including presentation style, development of concepts, and organization.

1. Research Project
Organizational Behavior
Reviewed by
Eric Swanson
© PENN FOSTER, INC. 2017 PAGE iiORGANIZATIONAL
BEHAVIOR
Research Project
About the Author
Eric Swanson has spent more than 20 years working in various
corporations, including
Unilever, Marketing Drive Worldwide, and CBS News. A
graduate of Yale University
and the Juilliard School, he is the author of ten books of fiction
and nonfiction, including
The New York Times bestseller, The Joy of Living. A former
stage and film actor, he is
currently Associate Director of Great Circle Productions, Inc., a
501 (c ) (3) nonprofit
organization dedicated to supporting and developing projects in
the performing arts, liter-
ary and visual arts, and film/video arts.
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© PENN FOSTER, INC. 2017 PAGE 1ORGANIZATIONAL
BEHAVIOR
Research Project
CONTENTS
PROJECT OBJECTIVES 2
INSTRUCTIONS 2
PAPER SPECIFICATIONS 4
GRADING CRITERIA 5
SUBMITTING YOUR PROJECT 6

3. © PENN FOSTER, INC. 2017 PAGE 2ORGANIZATIONAL
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Research Project
ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR
PROJECT OBJECTIVES
To complete this project, you must
1. Conduct research to
a. Define the concept of emotional labor
b. Describe, explain, and discuss perspectives on emotional
labor in general as
well as in different workplace settings
2. Conduct limited field research aimed at assessing varying
understandings and
experiences of emotional labor in at least three work settings
3. Analyze and summarize findings from your field research
4. Prepare a term paper on the topic of emotional labor in
workplace settings, using
both your field research and your background research as you
do so
INSTRUCTIONS
Before you begin, read through this entire procedure. Then,
follow these steps to com-
plete your project:
1. Create your own working definition of emotional labor. Your
definition should

4. include likely effects of emotional labor, such as fatigue,
workplace stress, anxiety,
and alienation. Use your definition to guide your field research
and clarify your
thinking prior to beginning work on your term paper.
2. Use the following sources to conduct background research.
Note: You must use all
of these sources for your project.
a. Your textbook, Organizational Behavior, page 82
b. Online sources
■ Context Magazine, “Feeling around the World,” Arlie
Hocschild, page 80
http://contexts.org/articles/spring-2008/feeling-around-the-
world/
■ Wikipedia: Defining Emotional Labor
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emotional_labor
■ “What Is ‘Emotional Labor’?” (feminist view)
http://tinyurl.com/kn2zn5y
http://contexts.org/articles/spring-2008/feeling-around-the-
world/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emotional_labor
http://tinyurl.com/kn2zn5y
© PENN FOSTER, INC. 2017 PAGE 3ORGANIZATIONAL
BEHAVIOR

5. Research Project
c. At least one source of your own from the Internet, a library
source, or else-
where. Here’s a place to start for information on resources,
citations, and
references for this assignment. Visit the Organizational
Behavior Page in the
Penn Foster Virtual Library:
http://pflibrary.pennfoster.edu/c.php?g=706110&p=5014022&pr
e-
view=7888d3084d95ad78c3a5d21b5b7850a9
3. Prepare a survey for interviewing people in various work
settings. On the survey,
leave room for notes you take during or immediately following
your interview with
any subject. Although you may add questions of your own,
include the following
questions on your survey:
a. On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate your satisfaction
with your job?
b. On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate your satisfaction
with your present
workplace environment?
c. Are you expected to present yourself in certain ways to
customers (patients,
passengers, clients, and so on)?
d. If so, how are you expected to present yourself? To help the
interviewee

6. answer this question, you may ask one or more of the following
questions:
n Are you expected to follow a sales script?
n Are you expected to “up-sell” special offers?
n Are you instructed to always be polite?
■ Are you expected to encourage and support patients?
n Are you supposed to smile when you would prefer to
scream or frown?
e. Do you feel stress when you feel one way and have to pretend
you feel
another way? Can you give me examples?
f. When you feel some kind of work stress, can you tell me how
you feel about
it? (If interviewees need help answering this question, you may
ask, “Does
stress make you feel tired? Frustrated? Amused? Irritable?
Sad?”)
4. Follow these guidelines for conducting your research:
a. Interview people in at least three different work settings.
Your subjects might
include fast-food workers, bus or taxi drivers, firefighters, law
enforcement
officers, sanitation workers, bank tellers, airline flight
attendants, public school
teachers, paramedics, and social workers—to offer some
examples.

7. b. Interview at least two people from each work setting.
c. To find individuals to interview, begin making contacts
through people you
know.
d. During the interview, complete the surveys yourself. Don’t
ask the subjects to
fill out the forms.
http://pflibrary.pennfoster.edu/c.php?g=706110&p=5014022&pr
eview=7888d3084d95ad78c3a5d21b5b7850a9
http://pflibrary.pennfoster.edu/c.php?g=706110&p=5014022&pr
eview=7888d3084d95ad78c3a5d21b5b7850a9
© PENN FOSTER, INC. 2017 PAGE 4ORGANIZATIONAL
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Research Project
e. Before beginning an interview, tell each subject that his or
her responses will
be anonymous. Indeed, it’s advisable to create fictitious names
for particular
work venues, for the subjects themselves, and for any persons
mentioned by
the subjects. Also, inform each subject that your written report
is for a course,
and that it won’t be published anywhere.
f. Allow your respondents to speak freely. Don’t allow your
survey form to keep
you from taking notes on unexpected comments, observations,
and informa-
tion provided by the subjects. In other words, keep an open
mind.

8. g. Don’t record an interview on any electronic device, such as a
tape recorder,
cell phone, or camcorder, without the express permission of the
subject. If
you do record any interview, destroy or delete any such
information upon
completion of your research project.
5. Prepare a five- to eight-page term paper based on your
research. Draft your paper
on the basis of your back-ground reading and your field
research. Edit and revise
your draft prior to submitting it to your instructor.
PAPER SPECIFICATIONS
1. Prepare your paper for electronic submission in a word-
processing program.
2. Prepare a title page with the following information:
a. Title: Emotional Labor in the Workplace
b. Your name
c. Your student number
d. Course title: Organizational Behavior
e. Project number: 50048200
f. Current date
3. Double-space your paper, with left and right margins of 1 to
1.25 inches, flush left
and ragged right.

9. 4. Provide adequate source citations.
5. Include a header on each page except the title page. In the
header, include your
name, student number, and the page number.
6. Do not plagiarize. The direct usage of materials from any
source without proper
and accurate credit is plagiarism. Be sure to properly attribute
direct quotes and
paraphrases. If you plagiarize in any way or to any degree, your
term paper will
receive a failing grade.
7. Use the following outline as a suggested guide for the
structure of your paper:
a. Introduction. Summarize your paper. Briefly describe what
the paper is about
and how you went about writing it.
© PENN FOSTER, INC. 2017 PAGE 5ORGANIZATIONAL
BEHAVIOR
Research Project
b. Emotional Labor: Psychological Stress in the Workplace.
Describe emo-
tional labor, including various perspectives on its nature and its
psychological
costs. The material for this section should come mainly from
your background
research.

10. c. Interviews. Explain what you learned from your interviews.
Include anecdotal
material to engage the reader and, to a limited extent, offer your
interpreta-
tions and impressions.
d. Summary and conclusion. Discuss your overall impressions,
your view on
the causes of emotional labor, and perhaps, how it might be
managed or
reduced.
8. Submit the final draft of your paper to your instructor.
GRADING CRITERIA
Your project will be graded on the following criteria:
n Presentation style (20 percent). The student uses a consistent
point of view
throughout, employs accurate and appropriate word and concept
usage, and has
few, if any, digressions. The paper is easy to read.
n Development of concepts and themes (40 percent). The paper
is developed
accurately and coherently from background sources. The
Interviews section is
coherently related to the background sources.
n Organization of writing (20 percent). The material proceeds
logically, topic sen-
tences are well placed, and paragraph breaks are appropriate.
n Grammar and usage (20 percent). The student uses complete
and grammatically
correct sentences with no spelling errors. Descriptions,

11. explanations, and asser-
tions are clearly worded.
© PENN FOSTER, INC. 2017 PAGE 6ORGANIZATIONAL
BEHAVIOR
Research Project
SUBMITTING YOUR PROJECT
Use this procedure to submit your research project for grading:
1. On your computer, save a revised and corrected version of
your title page and
paper.
2. Go to http://www.pennfoster.edu and log in.
3. Go to student portal.
4. Click on Take Exam next to the lesson you’re working on.
5. Enter your email address in the box provided.
(Note: This information is required for online submission.)
6. Attach your file as follows:
a. Click on the Browse box.
b. Locate the file you wish to attach.
c. Double-click on the file.
d. Click on Upload File.

12. 7. Click on Submit Files.
http://www.pennfoster.edu
Title
ABC/123 Version X
1
Organizational Behavior in the Workplace
MGT/312 Version 5
1
University
Organizational Behavior in the Workplace
Complete the matrix below with 3 to 5 job skills found in the
workplace that could lead to improved job performance.
Job Skills in the Workplace
Example: Problem-solving
Create a700-word summary of what you have learned about
Organizational Behavior from your current readings.

13. Include the following in your summary:
Explain the connection between organizational behavior and
your selected job skills from the matrix.
Discuss how these job skills can lead to improved job
performance.
Explain how Organizational Behavior can aid you in decision-
making and problem-solving.
Predict the consequences of unethical behavior in the
workplace.
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reserved.