The role of emotions in the process of innovation in organizations

The role of emotions in the organizational innovation process Author: FABIANO MAURI - Email: [e-mail] University: IBMEC BUSINESS SCHOOL OF RIO DE JANEIRO Track: 13. Innovation General Track Co-author(s): Fatima Cristina Bacellar (Ecole de Management de Normandie)

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The emotions’ role in the diffusion and adoption of innovations in organizations

The emotions’ role in the diffusion and adoption of innovations in organizations ABSTRACT Innovation appears as an integrated part of organization growth strategies and occurs in different market segments. The purpose of this paper, exploratory and qualitative in nature, is to understand the role of emotions in the organizational innovation process. The literature that supports this study is divided into two parts; one related to the diffusion of innovations, and the other exploring emotions, primarily in the sociological point of view, since the study concerns the unleashing of socially built emotions. The research was conducted with multidisciplinary professionals who participated in innovation experiences in companies of different sectors. Data was collected by means of in-depth interviews and subsequently analyzed using thematic coding procedures. The results led to the suggestion of conceptual models for each researched emotion: happiness, fear, anger and sadness. The models are composed of factors that cause emotions and the consequences of these emotions when implementing novelty. From this analysis, it was possible to identify opportunities for carrying out actions in terms of stimulating the positive emotions and minimizing the effects of negative emotions, thus contributing to increase the chances of success in innovation initiatives. Key words: innovation diffusion, emotions, organizational behavior 1 INTRODUCTION Innovation produces significant changes in