When Emotional Strain Blocks Initiative: How Performance Climates Help Employees Adapt

What is it about?

This study explores how emotional dissonance—the tension employees feel when showing emotions that differ from their true feelings—affects their willingness to engage in change-oriented organizational citizenship behavior (OCB), or voluntary efforts to improve the organization. Based on conservation of resources theory, emotional dissonance depletes psychological resources and fosters feelings of underappreciation, lowering motivation to drive improvements. However, a performance-oriented climate that values achievement can buffer these negative effects. Based on survey data from 284 employees across six organizations in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the study finds that emotional dissonance indirectly reduces employees’ change-oriented OCB by increasing their sense of being undervalued. Yet, when employees perceive that their workplace rewards performance and recognizes strong contributors, these harmful effects are significantly weaker. In such environments, employees are more likely to interpret emotional strain as a challenge rather than as unfair treatment, maintaining their engagement in proactive, change-driven behavior. The findings highlight that while emotional dissonance is almost inevitable in service and performance-driven roles, its damaging consequences are not. Organizations can mitigate the risk of disengagement by cultivating performance-oriented cultures that validate employees’ efforts and achievements. This is especially relevant in the UAE’s high power-distance, collectivist context, where open emotional expression may be constrained and recognition from superiors carries strong motivational value.

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Photo by Amina Atar on Unsplash

Photo by Amina Atar on Unsplash

Why is it important?

This research is unique in revealing the psychological pathway through which emotional dissonance suppresses proactive employee behavior. By identifying organizational underappreciation as a key mediator and performance-oriented climates as a contextual buffer, it clarifies when and how emotional strain undermines constructive work attitudes. It also extends COR theory by demonstrating how contextual resources—like performance-driven environments—can help employees conserve their emotional energy and sustain initiative. The study is timely as organizations worldwide grapple with rising emotional demands and the need for continuous innovation. In the UAE and similar emerging economies, where rapid change and hierarchical norms coexist, this research offers actionable insight: creating transparent, merit-based performance systems not only boosts results but also protects employees’ emotional well-being. By linking performance focus with psychological resilience, firms can ensure that emotional challenges lead to growth and adaptation rather than withdrawal.