Collective emotion regulation strategies within team group discussions: a study of three teams in emotionally at-risk sectors

Abstract

Based on the idea that team group discussions (TGDs) are an important tool for reducing psychosocial risks, this article hypothesizes that such a reduction may be partly attributable to the emotion regulation strategies deployed within them. The present research questions are as follows: What are the collective emotion regulation strategies implemented within TGDs; what are the conditions for their development and what is their impact on how emotions are experienced within teams? Collective Emotion Regulation (CER) is defined as the process by which team members construct and adhere to emotion regulation norms likely to modify the emotions felt, directly or indirectly, following an affective event involving several team members. The research methodology employed herein is based on an analysis of three case studies in emotionally at-risk sectors. The results describe the recurring patterns of collective emotion regulation within teams. These patterns depend not only on a team’s emotional culture and discussion culture, but also on the climate within the team. This article concludes with a discussion demonstrating how a focus on CER enriches explanations of the impact of TGDs on occupational health. This discussion underlines the importance of exchanges within TGDs being open about emotions (especially negative emotions) and clarifies the conditions necessary in order for this to work.