Emotions in Organizational Change: An Integrative Review

ABSTRACT

Emotions play a significant role in organizational change, but they are often neglected in change management models, which can lead to resistance and increased stress among employees. In this manuscript we discuss how emotions can influence leaders and employee’s perception and responses to change initiatives. We also explore interpretive lenses that researchers use to investigate emotions in the context of organizational change.

This literature review makes notable contributions by fostering the integration of social, institutional, and emotional perspectives into change management practices, while shedding light on the considerable potential of leveraging positive emotions for enhancing engagement during change implementation.

MAD statement

This integrative review addresses the role of emotions in organizational change management models, a key factor of engagement or resistance.

The complex interplay of emotions in organizational change processes-where resistance and fear intertwine with excitement and hope – underscores the requirement for change management strategies that acknowledge the intricate role emotions play in both individual and group experiences. Change initiatives often falter because they address only on specific aspects, neglecting the dynamic between conscious and unconscious emotional expressions. Emotional dynamics in organizations extend beyond immediate reactions to change emcompassing deeper emotional bonds with leadership and the institutional environment. In this context, leaders are paradoxically sources of anxiety and responsible for mitigating it it within their teams.

Anchored in previous research, this exploration offers new insights for optimizing change implementation. It suggests integrating social and institutional perspectives, and leveraging positive emotions in engagement strategies. Unlinke other reviews, this work synthesizes empirical findings specifically related to emotion's impact on engagement or resistance at different levels. It categorizes existing explanations and expands on the epistemological perspectives of emotions, elucidating how they operate and the ongoing efforts required to comprehend and harness emotions as catalysts for change.

KEYWORDS:

• Literature review
• emotions
• organizational change
• change management

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Fernanda de Oliveira Santos de Souza

Fernanda de Oliveira Santos de Souza is a Doctoral Student of Strategy and Innovation at COPPEAD graduate school of business, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She holds an organizational psychology background as a Human Resources consultant that prompts her in understanding how organizational changes are affected by emotions. She teaches organizational behaviour in graduate and postgraduate programs.

Paula Chimenti

Paula Chimenti is an Associate Professor of Strategy and Innovation at COPPEAD graduate school of business, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She holds a PhD in Administration from Coppead. She runs the Center of Studies in Strategy and Innovation, where she develops research about the impact of disruptive innovations on business ecosystems. She has several works published in journals in Brazil and abroad, such as JGIM and JCR. Her article on Business Ecosystems received the first prize in one of the most important academic conferences in Brazil. She teaches Management Networked Businesses, Digital Marketing and Research Methodology in the Master's, Doctorate and Executive MBA programs at COPPEAD / UFRJ. She coordinated the Master program and Executive MBA programs at COPPEAD. Paula is the cases for teaching Editor for RAC – Revista de Administração Contemporânea, one of the top journals in Brasil.