TY  - JOUR
AB  - Purpose This paper aims to investigate the complex relationship between emotions, coping approaches and learning in error situations in the workplace. The study also examines the influence of individual error orientation, as well as psychological safety, and team learning behaviour as contextual factors.Design/methodology/approach To measure emotions, coping and learning from errors in situ, a semi-standardised error diary was administered. Individual and contextual factors were measured by standard questionnaires. Totally, 22 young employees participated in the study and recorded n = 99 error situations in a three-week diary period.Findings Errors typically provoked negative emotions, particularly in cases of “public” errors. Negative emotions provoked emotion-focused coping. However, there was no direct effect of emotions on learning. Learning seems to depend primarily on the in-depth analysis of the error, no matter whether the original coping intention is aimed at problem-solving, self-protection or emotion regulation. A quick error correction does not necessarily result in learning. Furthermore, plausible influences of individual and contextual factors were found, but must be interpreted cautiously.Research limitations/implications The small sample size, particularly in person-level analyses, is a major shortcoming of the study.Originality/value To overcome shortcomings of common retrospective self-reports such as interviews or questionnaires, this study uses the diary method as an innovative approach to investigate processes in situ.
VL  - 29
IS  - 5
SN  - 1366-5626
DO  - 10.1108/JWL-01-2017-0004
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1108/JWL-01-2017-0004
AU  - Rausch Andreas
AU  - Seifried Jürgen
AU  - Harteis Christian
PY  - 2017
Y1  - 2017/01/01
TI  - Emotions, coping and learning in error situations in the workplace
T2  - Journal of Workplace Learning
PB  - Emerald Publishing Limited
SP  - 374
EP  - 393
Y2  - 2024/05/06
ER  -