Managing emotion in organisational change Emotion management as power

How power works through the handling of emotion of others is analysed by a case example from a study on emotions in organisational change. This case is a starting point for the theoretical argument that power analysis can benefit from analysing how emotions are engendered as part of power processes, and not merely repressed or controlled. The analysis elaborates and applies the analytical possibilities of the notion of other emotion management, which seems particularly relevant in understanding organisational change, as change increases the amount of emotion work/coping compared to routine situations. I analyse from a perspective on emotion that emphasises productive and performative dimensions of emotional life, and this emotional kind of power is distinguished from management of meaning (legitimacy, discourse). Hereby, the paper aims at contributing to a development of power theory and analysis, which has been too cognitively biased. Key words: change, emotion management, power. CMS paper: Managing emotion in organisational change- Emotion management as powe