Emotions are integral to our everyday life. Because of the consistent and constant presence of emotions, dealing with our own and others’ emotions is an essential element of workplace performance and wellbeing. Research to date has established that leaders and employees can improve work and wellbeing outcomes by successfully regulating their own emotions (referred to as intrinsic emotion regulation: using strategies to influence the intensity, timing, type, and duration of our emotions), yet much less is known about how we regulate others’ emotions at work – a phenomenon referred to as extrinsic emotion regulation. In this seminar, we will explore: 1) the influence of personality traits on individuals’ decision to regulate others’ emotions, 2) the influence of goals and the use of specific strategies on relationship conflict and team-member exchange amongst co-workers, and 3) the influence of leaders’ use of extrinsic regulation strategies on follower workplace affective states and job satisfaction. We will close with some implications for leadership.

Hannah Kunst is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the discipline of Work and Organisational Studies at the University of Sydney, Australia. She conducted her interdisciplinary PhD at the University of Sydney Business School and the University of Sydney School of Psychology, and received her Research Masters of Science in Psychopathology at the University of Maastricht, the Netherlands. Hannah’s research focuses on emotions, wellbeing, interpersonal relations, and emotion regulation of others at work. She is passionate about translational research and bridging the gap between research and practice. Hannah is a casual academic at the University of Sydney Business School, an associate fellow of Advance HE, a member of the Body, Heart and Mind in Business Research Group, and a member of the Australian Compassion Council.