Navigating Conflicting Emotions: A Systematic Review of Emotional Ambivalence and Its Role in Adult Decision Making in Working Place

Nadya Alawwiyah; Kinanti Ananda Arini Sugma; Nida Hasanati

doi:10.59890/ijeps.v3i4.80

Authors

Nadya Alawwiyah University of Muhammadiyah Malang
Kinanti Ananda Arini Sugma University of Muhammadiyah Malang
Nida Hasanati University of Muhammadiyah Malang

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.59890/ijeps.v3i4.80

Keywords:

Emotional Ambivalence, Decision Making, Adults, Workplace, Psychological Health

Abstract

This study investigates the role of emotional ambivalence in adult decision-making within the workplace using a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) approach. Emotional ambivalence, defined as the coexistence of positive and negative emotions toward the same object or event, is explored as a disruptive factor in rational and affective decision-making. Ten peer-reviewed articles published between 2013 and 2023 were selected from 99 initial sources based on credibility and relevance criteria. The findings reveal that emotional ambivalence, emotional dissonance, and workplace incivility contribute to burnout, turnover intentions, and reduced work engagement. Social support, inclusive culture, and emotion regulation serve as protective factors. This study offers both theoretical and practical implications for organizational psychology and future mixed-methods research.

References

Annisa, A. (2023). Pelatihan regulasi emosi: mengembangkan intervensi untuk meningkatkan regulasi emosi pada anak. TIN: Terapan Informatika Nusantara, 4(3), 198-202. https://doi.org/10.47065/tin.v4i3.4214

Barbaroux, A., Pourrat, I., & Bouchez, T. (2022). General practitioners and sales representatives: why are we so ambivalent?. Plos One, 17(1), e0261661. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0261661

Bonilla R, P., Armadans, I., & Anguera, M. T. (2020). Conflict mediation, emotional regulation and coping strategies in the educational field. In Frontiers in education (Vol. 5, p. 50). Frontiers Media SA. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2020.00050

Cahyono, E. A., Sutomo, & Hartono, A. (2019). Literatur Review: Panduan Penulisan dan Penyusunan. Jurnal Keperawatan, 12.

Copeland, D. (2020). Brief workplace interventions addressing burnout, compassion fatigue, and teamwork: a pilot study. Western Journal of Nursing

Research, 43(2), 130-137. https://doi.org/10.1177/0193945920938048

Dwiyanti, R. and Kartikawati, R. (2020). Working women coping strategy in facing work conflict. Technium Social Sciences Journal, 10, 358-364. https://doi.org/10.47577/tssj.v10i1.1319

Elhay, E., El‐Gilany, A., & ELhay, I. (2022). The relationship between nursing staff's change fatigue, psychological resilience, and job satisfaction at mansoura university hospital. Egyptian Journal of Health Care, 13(2), 1478-1493. https://doi.org/10.21608/ejhc.2022.245105

Gray, N., Hasking, P., & Boyes, M. (2021). The impact of ambivalence on recovery from non-suicidal self-injury: considerations for health professionals. Journal of Public Mental Health, 20(4), 251-258. https://doi.org/10.1108/jpmh-07-2020-0093

Gray, N., Uren, H., Pemberton, E., & Boyes, M. (2023). Profiling ambivalence in the context of nonsuicidal self‐injury. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 79(8), 1699-1712. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.23494

Han, Y. and Sears, G. (2023). Does leader‐member exchange ambivalence hinder employee well‐being? exploring relations with work engagement and emotional exhaustion. Stress and Health, 40(3). https://doi.org/10.1002/smi.3334

Imani, B., ghadam, M., Gomrokchi, A., & Maddineshat, M. (2024). Efficacy of tailored educational interventions in changing conflict management strategies among operating room staff. Work. https://doi.org/10.1177/10519815241297844

Kavaklı, B. and Yıldırım, N. (2022). The relationship between workplace incivility and turnover intention in nurses: a cross‐sectional study. Journal of Nursing Management, 30(5), 1235-1242. https://doi.org/10.1111/jonm.13594

Lee, Y., Lee, J., & Lee, S. (2022). The mediating effect of workplace incivility on organization culture in south korea: a descriptive correlational analysis of the turnover intention of nurses. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 54(3), 367-375. https://doi.org/10.1111/jnu.12734

Melwani, S. and Rothman, N. (2022). The push-and-pull of frenemies: when and why ambivalent relationships lead to helping and harming.. Journal of Applied Psychology, 107(5), 707-723. https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0000811

Meyer, C., Chiapponi, C., Kaufmann, F., Kanz, K., & Hinzmann, D. (2024). Occupational stress profiles of prehospital and clinical staff in emergency medicine—a cross-sectional baseline study. Frontiers in Public Health, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1480643

Moon, C. and Morais, C. (2022). Understanding the consequences of workplace incivility: the roles of emotional exhaustion, acceptability and political skill. International Journal of Conflict Management, 33(3), 425-447. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijcma-09-2021-0147

Nielsen, M., Johannessen, H., Christensen, J., & Finne, L. (2023). Emotional dissonance and burnout among child welfare workers: the moderating role of social support from colleagues, supervisors, and organization. Journal of Social Work, 23(4), 615-635. https://doi.org/10.1177/14680173221143649

Oh, V. Y. (2022). Torn between valences: Mixed emotions predict poorer psychological well-being and job burnout. Journal of Happiness Studies, 23(5), 2171-2200. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-021-00493-z

Parray, Z., Islam, S., & Shah, T. (2023). Impact of workplace incivility and emotional exhaustion on job outcomes – a study of the higher education sector. International Journal of Educational Management, 37(5), 1024-1041. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijem-07-2022-0267

Peng, N. and Chen, A. (2021). Consumers’ luxury restaurant reservation session abandonment behavior during the covid-19 pandemic: the influence of luxury restaurant attachment, emotional ambivalence, and luxury consumption goals. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 94, 102891. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2021.102891

Rothman, N., Vitriol, J., & Moskowitz, G. (2022). Internal conflict and prejudice-regulation: emotional ambivalence buffers against defensive responding to implicit bias feedback. Plos One, 17(3), e0264535. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0264535

Song, Q., Gong, L., Zhao, M., Shen, T., Chen, Y., & Wang, J. (2024). When leaders and their employees disagree: investigating the consequences of differences in cognitions of workplace event criticality. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 39(7), 878-900. https://doi.org/10.1108/jmp-09-2022-0471

Triandini, E., Jayanatha, S., Indrawan, A., Putra, G. W., & Iswara, B. (2019). Metode systematic literature review untuk identifikasi platform dan metode pengembangan sistem informasi di Indonesia. Indonesian Journal of Information Systems, 1(2), 63-77

Wang, H., Jiang, L., Xu, X., Zhou, K., & Bauer, T. (2023). Dynamic relationships between leader–member exchange and employee role-making behaviours: the moderating role of employee emotional ambivalence. Human Relations, 76(6), 926-951. https://doi.org/10.1177/00187267221075253

Wujarso, R. (2024). Perilaku Organisasi: Memahami Perilaku Individu, Kelompok, Dan Organisasi. Asadel Liamsindo Teknologi.

Xu, H. and Flores, L. (2023). A process model of career decision-making and adaptation under uncertainty: expanding the dual-process theory of career decision-making. Journal of Career Assessment, 31(4), 773-793. https://doi.org/10.1177/10690727231161378