UNDERSTANDING EMOTIONS IN ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE Table of Contents 1. Abstract 3 2. Introduction 3 Relating Emotions and Identity and Change 3.

1 Emotions and Identity connection 3.2 Continuous Change Challenges Identities 3.3 Identity Work and Emotion in Change 3.4 Organizational change and Emotions 4. Counter Productive Emotion Management 4.1 Display Rules 8 4.2 Change Roles and Obligations 9 4.3 Interpersonal Influence 9 5. Guidelines for managing emotions during change 6. Discussion 10 7. Conclusion 11 8. References 12

3 4 4 5 6 7 8

Abstract Change is endemic. It is rapid, and often has significant implications. Change has become the norm rather than the exception, leading organizations through fun damental change processes still poses a major challenge to management. Emotional reactions are often viewed as one of the obstacles to successful change. In thi s paper I re-conceptualize the emotional experience of change through an identit y lens, guided by the question of how and why organizational changes tend to be experienced emotionally. Firstly, I argue that continuous organizational changes are experienced emotionally. Secondly, I view identity as constructed from expe riences relating a person to his/her world. I argue that organizational change a lters such relationships which form our identity. And third I assume that as out come of such disruptive changes, individuals engage in identity work in order to incorporate ongoing emotional experiences into a coherent self. Finally, I talk about how the concept of identity work adds to the emotional experience of orga nizational change. Introduction The purpose of this paper is to examine how and why organizational change is an emotional experience. Considerate the dynamics of organizational change and its difficulties has been a priority in the change literature for decades. Emotional reactions to organizational changes are looked at as part of the individual exp erience of change and thus one factor consider in attempts to understand the cha

nge dynamics (George et al., 2001; Turnbull, 2002). Research into organizational change has typically dealt with negative reactions to change in terms of stress, anxiety and loss (Hogan & Overmyer-Day, 1994), wit h resistance due to an individual inability or unwillingness to change or a lack of understanding the reasons for change (Ford, & McNamara, 2002; Piderit, 2000) , or with anger, frustration and guilt in connection with survivor syndrome afte r downsizing (e.g. Brockner, Grover, Reed, & Dewitt, 1992). In this paper, I view emotions not simply as negative and unwanted effects of or ganizational transformation, but as forming an inherent part of human experience . I will argue that emotions have vital social and individual functions for org anizational change processes (Callahan & McCollum, 2002), and are strongly relat ed to the self (Fogel, 2001). I assume that the experience in basic and ongoing organizati onal change challenges an individual in different ways (McAllister & Bigley, 200 2). The paper informs three types of literature, namely the literature on change, id entity and emotions at work. The discussion further has practical implications a nd offers a fresh view on change management in the context of ongoing transforma tions. Relating Emotions and Identity and Change Emotions and Identity connection My first assumption concerns with the relationship between emotions and self ide ntity. I believe that work situations provoke emotions, because they are importa nt to us. One way of look at this is through the notion of identity. Theoretical framework rests on the assumption that emotions are central to the experience o f the self and vice versa. Gordon (1989) views emotion as a way of defining a sit uation, or, more accurately, of defining ones place in a situation in terms of im portant values (p. 166). Thus, emotions experienced in the work environment characterize an individuals or a groups position with regard to a situation or event. They serve a vital social function, for example as symbolic displays to others about ones values, standard s and expectations. On the other hand, they also offer an important clues to ones self, signalling how a situation is personally relevant (Gordon, 1989). Emotions therefore inform the person about the implication of the ongoing situat ion or event according to that persons values and expectations. This is because t hey are part of a personal and social meaning system. The Emotions like pride or anger, are not random, but follow a logic or rule, which are culturally acquire d (Fischer, 1991; Lazarus, 1999). For example in Western culture pride is constr ucted as a result of personally mastering a difficult task in order to achieve a goal (Frese, 1990) and anger is characterized a demeaning offence against me and mine and also relates to ones goals (Lazarus, 1999, p.217). On the other hand, S elf-focused emotions such as shame or guilt are constructed around moral values, ideals and standards (Fischer, 1991; Lazarus, 1999). This means that according to these theorists all emotions relate to the individual, but in very different ways. I argue that emotional experiences have at their core identity-relevant issues. As meanings conveyed by specific emotions are socially shared, they inform us ab out how we (and others) interpret a situation and how we view our own position w ithin it. Continuous Change Challenges Identities My second assumption is concerned with the relationship between identity and org anizational change. Discuss answers the question Who am I?(Thoits, 1991). Identity is considered as relational and reflexive: relational as the self-concept is co

nstructed in relation to the social world which provides for the categories and values needed to understand oneself and reflexive as it focuses on a persons perc eption of (and relation to) him or herself. The relationship to persons context c onstitutes the material from which the self is constructed over time (Gergen & G ergen, 1988). Work can help people to understand themselves and their lives as meaningful. Not only can the work setting be a field for social integration through interaction s and social recognition, it is also a potential field for developing a sense of agency and competence (Hui & Lee, 2000). According to Mller & Widmer (1998) iden tities at work are constituted by the relationships of the individual to the org anization as a collectively, to the work activity and to the effects of this act ivity as well as to the superiors and colleagues. At the same time, these catego ries have proven to be affected by organizational changes (Hui et al., 2000). Thus organizational change is likely to bring changes and challenges to identity -relevant relationships at work, and as argued in the previous section - such ch allenges are experienced emotionally.

Identity Work and Emotion in Change In this section, I draw an attention to the role of identity as a constructive p rocess in dealing with the emotionality inherent in organizational change. Few authors argue that because so many relational settings became heterogeneous and unstable, the self is best understood as a patchwork of multiple identities (e.g. all et al., 1996). The notion of identity as an accomplished inner structu re is gradually replaced by the idea of a succession of diverse and maybe contra dicting individual experiences and roles (Hall et al., 1996). This requires a li felong everyday process of constructing and maintaining our self (Keupp et al., 1999). Keupp et al. therefore re-conceptualize identity from a stable pattern to a continuous process which they label identity work. It illustrates the effort a person makes to maintain a sense of continuity and a plausible thread in his or her life. Identity work offers one way of analyzing how individuals experience, deal with and accommodate to changes. I argued earlier that transformation challenges identities and that these challe nges are experienced emotionally, the emotions informing us about identity-relev ant issues. Along with Keupp et al., 1999, I further argue that dealing with ide ntity- relevant issues in times of change triggers identity work. Based on ten years of research into identity constructions and identity developm ents, Keupp et al. develop four criteria, which characterize identity work: Ackn owledgement, authenticity, coherence, and agency. a) Acknowledgement means to establish oneself within the social context at work by experiencing attention, appreciation, respect and self-esteem. Keupp et al. f urther describe three sub-dimensions: 1a) Attention from others (feeling perceiv ed as human being by others), 2a) recognition in terms of appreciation and 3a) p ositive affect and self-appreciation. Having a feeling of belongingness is a for m of social acknowledgement. b) Authenticity refers to the sense of being true to one self at work, feeling aut hentic, whole and genuine. Authenticity is Note that the terms identity work and ef fort used by Keupp et al. are somewhat misleading as they imply a conscious proce

ss that requires hard work and concentration. But the opposite is the case. The authors describe this process as an everyday, nearly casual process, which gener ally does not involve conscious work. c) Coherence refers to a feeling of purpose in working life. It means understand ing the world in which we work (comprehensibility), and being able to manage it (manageability), and perceiving that ones own activities at work make sense (mean ingfulness). What role do emotions play in the identity work carried out with re spect to organizational transformation? Some theorists have suggested that negat ive emotions indicate threats to identity, whereas positive emotions indicate to potentially identity enhancing events (Thoits, 1995). This means for Keupps fram ework, that negative emotions point to an identity work struggle, which means ne gative emotional experiences should reveal a lack of acknowledgement, authentici ty, coherence, or agency. Positive emotional experiences would on the other hand characterize successful identity work. However, the relationship between emotions and identity work in everyday life is likely to be more complex than this. E.g. a new job explanation due to restructurings may be experienced with great anxie ty, however finding a way to master this situation might enhance the feeling of self-efficacy. Organizational change and Emotions The recent research into emotions has suggestion for organizational change. If m anagers wish to promote a more positive stance toward organizational change, the y need to be aware of the types of situation which influence employee emotions a nd which eventually give rise to how individuals think and behave. Quite often i t is not the transformation itself which leads to negative affect and consequent behaviours of withdrawal, aggressive, foot dragging, reactions, resignation, et c. It is how change, and these days, how continuous and large-scale changes are managed. Thus, it is proposed that more constructive and enduring approach to managing ch ange is to take an anticipatory view of change through the management of employe e emotions, by attending to the relationship between employee perceptions of jus tice and emotional outcomes. Counter Productive Emotion Management Although the present change literature supports the belief of two-way and honest , open and supportive communication during change, it appears that few organizat ions genuinely seek to understand employee emotions (Morrison & Milliken, 2000). Instead, they attempt to control, diffuse or avoid emotions and this can be ach ieved in a variety of ways. The principal means of controlling or avoiding expression of emotions during cha nge may occur through display rules, change roles and obligations, interpersonal influence, and through the use and abuse of power. Display Rules Emotions are seen as volatile, a symbol of weakness and disturbing to routine, w hile lack of emotion has been equated to power (Gibson & Schroeder, 2002). Throu gh the reinforcement of behavioural norms, organizations often inculcate the app ropriate forms of emotional expression. For example, emotion scripts and feeling ru les, while associated with emotional labour and service industries, can also be a pplied more generally to organizational change assert, these scripts are often le arned through socialization within the organization. The recipients of change, o ften adopt a suitable face to show that they are on the same bus with management. Kramer and Hess (2002) argue that through display rules, organizations dictate t he extent to which individuals can openly express emotions. The study revealed t

hat the most common communication display rule was to express emotions profession ally. This suggests that irrespective of the nature or strength of the emotion, e mployees who behaved professionally maintained a neutral or pleasant demeanour. Understanding and complying with these rules can have important implications for employees, and as a consequence, individuals may decide to express, mask or chan ge felt emotion (Kramer & Hess, 2002. Masking felt emotion through silence is ano ther form of emotional work (Morrison & Milliken, 2000), the motivation for whic h may be the possibility of negative repercussions associated with speaking up. This may suit some managers who are reluctant to receive negative feedback from employees in order to avoid feelings of threat, incompetence or vulnerability. E ven when they do invite feedback, it is suggested that managers may ignore the i nformation, discredit the source or dismiss the information as inaccurate (Morri son & Milliken, 2000).

Change Roles and Obligations Executives in the role of change strategists play an important part in the succe ssful implementation of change. In terms of the change process, they are usually in control of the decisions which frame the commencement and type of change int ervention to be adopted (Kanter, Stein & Jick, 1993). Kiefer (2002) observes th at the organization itself often fuels negative emotions, by denying employees a s ense of control in decision-making, thereby exacerbating feelings of helplessnes s and vulnerability. This relates to a management belief that management knows be st about most issues of organizational importance and that employees must assume t he role of unquestioning followers (Morrison & Milliken, 2000). The assumption he re is that any negative response is always inappropriate. Interpersonal Influence Management can diffuse emotional expression through the use of humour or by labe lling the perpetrator as a whinger or petty tyrant(Ashforth & Humphrey, 1995). The y may also discredit a recipient on the basis of his or her personal motivation or, in a similar vein, reframe their own emotions through rationality. For insta nce, when employees express their concerns regarding change, they are often met with the force of reason and information battering, where employees are confronted with a barrage of slide shows, data analysis and hefty reports (Waddell & Sohal, 1998). Thus, the key role of change strategist/executive is to drive change. Positive emotions can be seen as a means of influence. For example, if a change strategist or senior executive uses positive emotions, the motivation may be to reduce the potential for conflict and negative emotions, in the hope that the re cipient will also want to keep positive relations. Thus, an emotional contagion tactic is applied. Furthermore, if the mood is positive, the recipient may not e ven notice the weakness of the argument for change; positive emotions may also e nhances the likeability between the executive and recipient which, might reduce the recipients potential resistance to influence attempts (Gibson & Schroeder, 2002). Guidelines for managing emotions during change Although it might appear that organizations either intestinally or unintentional ly aim to normalize or neutralize emotional responses during change, it is equal ly important that employees emotions are acknowledged and also support is provide d to constructively deal with negative emotions. If possible a positive climate for transformation should be encouraged as this is likely to support employees t

o take action and to explore opportunities for development. In cases, when manag ements decisions and actions relating to change are perceived as unfair, strong e motional responses by employees have to be expected. Discussion My learning depicts that many emotional identity relevant issues take place in o ngoing change, which are different in nature. The literature review and my perso nal experience indicates that organizational transformations are experienced neg atively because of a general dislike of change or because of the inability to ch ange, and neither because of a lack of understanding the necessity of change. Mu ch rather it tells that change is taken negatively due to a perceived lack of re spect and appreciation for previous and ongoing achievements; due to feeling hel pless and to not being able to leave traces through working in the organization and ultimately, due to not being able to feel authentic in the association with the organization. The concept of identity work suggests one possible way to understand this demarc ation and the role of emotions in this process, by expressing and experiencing a nd negative emotions, such as anger about disruptions through change, identity-r elevant issues come into focus. With the experience of such actions and situatio ns, the relationship with the organization is put in question. Drawing on Keupp et al,(1999), I argue that this demarcation is part of identity work. One way of continuing to work in and for the organization and at the same time keep ones values and self-esteem, is to withdraw from it. Through expressin g ones disgust , aversion, or worries in relation to the development of the compa ny, the person has a possibility to feel authentic and take a stand. Because withdrawal means a loss of an identity relevant relationship in the shor t term, one could argue that the person has to move on to more constructive envi ronments, which could eventually mean leaving the organization. Other possibilit y is, however, to shift individuals focus to other more rewarding relationships w ithin the working life. Positive relationships with line-managers and colleagues are described as a powerful resource in turbulent times; where as sense of belo nging and acknowledgment are important for feeling embedded. Conclusion In this paper, I combined three bodies of literature, namely literature on chang e, emotion and identity in order to explore why and how organizational changes a re experienced emotionally. It attempts to explain emotional experiences of chan ge in two ways: First it examines the emotional experience through its various effects on identi ty and identity work. This view highlights relating issues in managing organizat ional change. It allows us to overcome the view of emotions as a change obstacle and to get interested in individual and social functions of emotions. Also, it put emphasis on the benefits of looking at negative and positive experiences in change and relating them to each other rather than merely focusing on the dark s ide. Further the identity work notion points that working in organizational change me an dealing with challenges and changes to identity as an everyday process. Second, this paper takes into account working in ongoing organizational changes, which is a prevalent contemporary work context. I highlighted some of the chall enges in a working context with changes that have no starting point or end. Howe ver, additional research is essential to establish if and how exactly the contex t of ongoing change differs from changes which are defined as a one-off change. Furthermore, patterns of identity work need to be investigated in other samples in different ongoing changes, in order to validate implications for change manag ement. The emotion and identity viewpoint on organizational transformation also has som

e practical implications. From the study, I learn that not the changes itself, b ut rather the way in which they are managed are reported as causes for negative experiences. This shifts my attention from the (fearful and resistant) employee to management and the way they implement and address organizational changes. It is therefore very important to understand how negative experiences are dealt wit h in the organization and how this impacts on organizational change.

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