適量消極情緒有助於提高工作能力大綱

Surprising new research suggests it can actually be good to feel bad at work, and that feeling good in the workplace can lead to negative outcomes.

新研究的驚人發現表明，實際上工作時的消極情緒能帶來積極效果，而積極的情緒卻可能導致消極結果。

The study of emotions in the workplace, edited by University of Liverpool researchers Drs. Dirk Lindebaum and Peter Jordan, is the topic of a Special Issue of the journal Human Relations.

由英國利物浦大學研究人員德克·林登鮑姆（Dirk Lindebaum）博士和彼得·喬丹（Peter Jordan）博士編撰的關於工作中情緒的研究是《人類關係》雜誌的一期特刊話題。

They found that the commonly-held assumption that positivity in the workplace produces positive outcomes, while negative emotions lead to negative outcomes, may be in need for reconsideration. This is partly due to this assumption failing to take into account the differences in work contexts which effect outcomes.

他們發現，人們普遍認爲工作中的積極情緒會產生積極結果，而消極情緒會導致消極結果，這種觀點有待重新思考。其原因是這一觀點沒有充分考慮到工作環境中差異對結果產生的影響。

For instance, anger does not always lead to negative outcomes and can be used as a force for good through acting upon injustices. In some cases, anger can be considered a force for good if motivated by perceived violations of moral standards.

例如，憤怒並不總是帶來消極結果，它還可以作爲對待不公平現象的正義力量。在某些情況下，若因他人違反道德標準而激發的憤怒，會被認爲是正義力量。

An employee, for example, could express anger constructively after a manager has treated a fellow worker unfairly.

又如，經理以不公平的方式對待同事後，員工可以建設性地表達自己的憤怒。

In such cases, anger can be useful to prevent these acts of injustice from repeating themselves in the future.

在這種情況下，憤怒可以有效阻止此類不公平現象在未來重演。

Likewise, being too positive in the workplace, rather than resulting in greater well-being and greater productivity, can lead to complacency and superficiality.

同樣，在工作中過於積極非但不能帶來更好的工作表現及更高的效率，反而會導致自滿和淺薄。

One article within the issue also finds that, within team situations, negativity can have a good affect, leading to less consensus and therefore greater discussion amongst workers which enhances team effectiveness.

特刊中的一篇文章也發現，在團隊協作中，消極情緒會產生良好的影響，共識較少的情況會使員工進行更爲深入的探討，從而提高團隊的工作效率。

An interesting contradiction is identified in another study of the special issue. Here, people derive satisfaction from doing “good” in the context of helplines by providing support to people in times of emotional distress.

特刊中另一項研究指出了一個有趣的矛盾點。在這項研究中，通過熱線服務電話爲情緒低落者提供幫助的人，會因做“好事”獲得滿足感。

However, they are negatively affected by their line of work due to people shunning them in social situations (e.g., since they might catch the emotional taint they attribute to the profession of the helpline workers).

然而，由於人們在社交場合的迴避，又使他們對這項工作產生消極情緒（例如，他們可能把捕捉情感缺陷歸因於接線員這個職業）。

Lindebaum said, “The findings of the studies published in this Special Issue challenge the widely held assumption that in the workplace positive emotions generate or engender a positive outcome, and vice versa.

林登鮑姆（Lindebaum）說：“發表在特刊的研究發現挑戰了人們的普遍觀念，即在工作中積極情緒會產生積極結果，反之亦然。”

“This Special Issue adds to our knowledge and understanding of how the positive and negative dynamics affect the working environment and has practical application and relevance in the workplace.”

“通過這期特刊，我們更多地瞭解和認識了積極和消極動態如何影響工作氛圍，同時對人們工作有着實際應用和關聯。”