Title: Organising emotion work in the hospital using the concept of 'emotional spacetime'

Authors: Gladys L. Symons

Addresses: Ecole nationale d'administration publique, Universite du Quebec, 4750 Henri-Julien, 5e etage, Montreal (Quebec), H2T 3E5, Canada

Abstract: This paper uses the concept of emotional spacetime to analyse managerial emotion work in a hospital setting. Emotional spacetime comprises a set of socially constructed affective relations unfolding within both quantitative and qualitative time-frames, located in physical sites and social spaces within and around organisations. Emotional spacetime is organised around a core or nucleus consisting of events that set it in motion. Four cases are examined: organisational change; shared governance; communications; and patient transfers. The analysis proposes ways of managing emotional spacetime at work and discusses the theoretical contributions of the concept of emotional spacetime for organisational analysis.

Keywords: emotion work; emotional labour; emotional spacetime; hospital administration; organisational analysis; organisation theory; emotions; organisational change; management; emotion theory.

DOI: 10.1504/IJWOE.2007.013612

International Journal of Work Organisation and Emotion, 2007 Vol.2 No.1, pp.1 - 21

Published online: 09 May 2007 *

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