“Putting on a Happy Face,” “Getting Back to Work,” and “Letting It Go”: Traditional and Restorative Justice Understandings of Emotions at Work

摘要

Coping with the emotional consequences of hurtful situations in the workplace can be problematic for organizational members. Traditional approaches depending on rationality and professionalism come with expectations that employees suppress or minimize emotion by focusing on their work and maintaining composure. However, an alternative approach to justice – restorative justice – is gaining notice in organizational scholarship and appears to offer a different approach to managing painful situations and their associated emotions. This study examines how the experience and management of emotion following hurtful events are connected with traditional and restorative principles in a workplace setting. The results of the study offer insight into the consequences of restorative justice in organizational life.