In this paper, we have assumed a flat Friedmann-Lemaitré-Robertson-Walker universe endowed with a general form of dissipation. The source of dissipation is considered to be a bulk viscous pressure Π which leads to an adiabatic creation of particles induced by the gravitational field. Further, the cosmic substratum is assumed to satisfy the equation of state p = (γ − 1)ρ and Π is considered to be proportional to H 2k+1 , where H is the Hubble parameter and k is the index of dissipation. This choice of dissipation is consistent with the pioneering works by Barrow and Clifton. Finally, by assuming an exponential form for H given by H = e m(t−t 0 ) , where m is a positive real parameter and which bears all the signatures of an emergent universe, we have been able to establish that the sufficiency of the inequality γk ≤ 0 can produce a class of emergent universes. However, this condition is by no means necessary for the existence of an emergent universe.