CHAPTER 11 SOCIETAL NORMS AND CONTEXTUAL EMOTIONAL LABOR Jawad Syed ABSTRACT This chapter examines the implications of societal norms for emotional labor in the workplace. It argues that the conflicting requirements of societal and job contexts may require one to violate one’s societal norms to fulfill job requirements. It is, therefore, important to examine the aversive states that may follow such transgression and the manners in which they are managed. INTRODUCTION It is now widely known that moral transgressions and other serious breaches of societal norms may result in shame, embarrassment, fear, and other forms of negative emotions (Lewis, 1992; Ortony, Clore, & Collins, 1988; Tangney, Miller, Flicker, & Barlow, 1996). An increasing number of researchers are engaged in exploring the nature of societal norms and their possible influence on motivational, organizational, and adaptive functions of emotions (e.g. Barlow, 1988; Grandey, 2000; Rozin & Fallon, 1987; Simpson & Stroh, 2004). This chapter endeavors to develop a conceptual perspective of moral values and social experiences and their implications for 1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39 Emotions, Ethics and Decision-Making Research on Emotion in Organizations, Volume 4, 241–258 Copyright r 2008 by Emerald Group Publishing Limited All rights of reproduction in any form reserved ISSN: 1746-9791 241