Emotional Embeddedness: Integrating Collective Emotions into Network Analysis of Organizations

Zhang et al. (2023) argue that emotions in organizations are deeply social and under-theorized as a dimension of embeddedness. Most current studies (e.g., those on innovation or retention) treat emotional climate as a background variable, not a core network property. Imagine mapping not just who is connected to whom, but also the flows of emotional energy—collective excitement, trust, anxiety—across a network. This research would synthesize sociological concepts (emotional energy, moral batteries) with network analysis, possibly using text mining, surveys, and sensor data to create “emotional topology maps.” It builds on the call for a toolkit to study emotions as a network property and could explain why certain networks persist, adapt, or fracture under stress. The practical upshot: organizations might diagnose and intervene not just in formal ties, but in the emotional undercurrents shaping performance and innovation.

References:

1. Beyond the Feeling Individual: Insights from Sociology on Emotions and Embeddedness. Rongrong Zhang, M. Voronov, Madeline Toubiana, R. Vince, B. Hudson (2023). Journal of Management Studies.