ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE, ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE AND EMOTIONS: A QUALITATIVE STUDY

This is an article I find quite interesting:

Roy K Smollan, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand
& Janet G Sayers, Massey University, Albany, New Zealand
Published in 2009 in Journal of Change Management 9(4), 435-457

ABSTRACT
Change triggers emotions as employees experience the processes and outcomes of change, including cultural change. An organization’s affective culture, which shapes the way emotions are experienced and expressed, plays a particularly important part during changes to the culture or to any other significant aspect 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. We 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.

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