Organizational culture, organizational change and emotions: a qualitative study

Change triggers emotions as employees experience the processes and outcomes of organizational transformation. An organization's affective culture, which shapes the way emotions are experienced and expressed, plays a particularly important part during changes to the culture and other aspects of organizational life. This article contributes to the literature by illustrating the relationships between culture, change and emotions and presents the results of a qualitative study. The study found that when participants' values were congruent with those of the organization, they tended to react to change more positively. Cultural change provoked emotional reactions, often of an intense nature. When emotions were acknowledged and treated with respect, people became more engaged with the change. Attitudes to existing culture also produced emotional responses to aspects of change

Follower perceptions of the emotional intelligence of change leaders: a qualitative study

We present and explore a follower-centric model of how employees perceive the emotional intelligence (EI) of change leaders. Qualitative investigations of EI are rare and have not explored the field of organizational change leadership. Accordingly, we analyse qualitative data from a series of interviews set within the context of organizational change. We examine follower attributions about the abilities of their leaders to manage and express their own emotions and to respond appropriately to the followers\u27 emotions. The findings reveal that the ways in which leaders deal with emotion might be the key to followers sharing their own emotions with them. The impact of perceived leader EI on follower responses to change is also discussed. The complexity and ambivalence of our participants\u27 perceptions of the EI of their change leaders highlight the utility of a qualitative investigation. © The Author(s) 2011

Emotions experienced through organisational events: an exploratory framework of perceived justice and outcomes

Organisational events trigger a range of emotional experiences for employees. This paper provides a two-by-two matrix that places an inclusive set of emotions in a grid of perceived outcomes and perceived justice. In so doing, it highlights emotional intelligence as an important course of further study regarding organisational change events. Specifically, it provides a series of propositions about the likely emotions arising from the combination of perceived outcomes and justice and the individual differences in these responses to organisational change events