The Cambridge handbook of workplace affect

"I recently heard a fascinating talk by a senior astronomer about the roller-coaster, decadelong journey to get a new telescope into orbit. I was struck by the amount of emotion imbued in the description of an exact scientist's work. Telescopes were described as "awesome" (positive emotion?). The importance of teamwork and perseverance in overcoming constant challenges was highlighted. The work was labelled as achievable only by people thriving under stress. Work performance is sometimes hampered by frustrations. Teamwork and perseverance are key to overcoming challenges. And on it goes. Many of the elements of emotion described in this volume, were echoed in the astronomer's description of a "highly technical" pursuit. This should not be surprising. Emotion is integral in any type of work, which is why the research on emotion at work discussed in the different chapters of this book, is so important"--