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Emotion as a Connection of Physical Artifacts and Organizations

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  • Anat Rafaeli

    (Faculty of Industrial Engineering and Management, Technion—Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel)

  • Iris Vilnai-Yavetz

    (Faculty of Industrial Engineering and Management, Technion—Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel)

Abstract

This paper documents emotion as integral to stakeholders' sense making of a key organizational artifact, demonstrating that emotion toward artifacts blends into emotion toward the organization. Multiple stakeholders were interviewed about an artifact of a large public transportation organization. Sense making of the artifact is shown to involve emotion in interpretations that consider three dimensions of the artifact—instrumentality, aesthetics, and symbolism. Instrumentality relates to the tasks the artifact helps accomplish, aesthetics is the sensory reaction to the artifact, and symbolism regards associations the artifact elicits. The analysis demonstrates that sense making of these three dimensions includes unsolicited emotion both toward the artifact and toward the organization. Emotion that surfaces in sense making of organizational artifacts is, thus, suggested to be what links interpretation of artifacts and attitudes toward organizations. This paper lays foundations for a theory of organizational artifacts that can guide both thoughtful research and effective management of artifacts in organizations.

Suggested Citation

  • Anat Rafaeli & Iris Vilnai-Yavetz, 2004. "Emotion as a Connection of Physical Artifacts and Organizations," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 15(6), pages 671-686, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:inm:ororsc:v:15:y:2004:i:6:p:671-686
    DOI: 10.1287/orsc.1040.0083
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Abhishek Mishra & Satyabhushan Dash & Naresh Malhotra, 2015. "An integrated framework for design perception and brand equity," Business & Information Systems Engineering: The International Journal of WIRTSCHAFTSINFORMATIK, Springer;Gesellschaft für Informatik e.V. (GI), vol. 5(1), pages 28-44, June.
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    7. Alfakhri, Demah & Harness, D. & Nicholson, John & Harness, Tina, 2018. "The role of aesthetics and design in hotelscape: A phenomenological investigation of cosmopolitan consumers," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 85(C), pages 523-531.
    8. Abhishek Mishra & Satyabhushan Dash & Naresh K. Malhotra, 2015. "An integrated framework for design perception and brand equity," AMS Review, Springer;Academy of Marketing Science, vol. 5(1), pages 28-44, June.
    9. Gladys Nnenna Madu & A. O. Oparanma & Justin M.O. Gabriel, 2019. "Workplace Aesthetics And Employees Engagement Of Government Tertiary Institutions In Rivers State, Nigeria," Noble International Journal of Business and Management Research, Noble Academic Publsiher, vol. 3(6), pages 95-102, June.
    10. Cristofaro, Matteo, 2020. "“I feel and think, therefore I am”: An Affect-Cognitive Theory of management decisions," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 38(2), pages 344-355.
    11. Krishnaswamy N. & Selvarasu A., 2016. "Exploring interrelationship between three performance indicators with PMI’s Nine Knowledge Areas for successful Project Management," International Journal of Finance, Insurance and Risk Management, International Journal of Finance, Insurance and Risk Management, vol. 6(3), pages 1162-1162.
    12. Mia B. Münster, 2024. "Adaptive Reuse: Atmospherics in Buildings Repurposed as Coffee Shops," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(4), pages 1-32, February.
    13. Scott F. Turner & Violina Rindova, 2012. "A Balancing Act: How Organizations Pursue Consistency in Routine Functioning in the Face of Ongoing Change," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 23(1), pages 24-46, February.
    14. Seungjin Kim & Sotaro Katsumata & Atsushi Akiike, 2020. "Dynamic Impacts of Aspects of Appearance and Technology on Consumer Satisfaction: Empirical Evidence from the Smartphone Market," The Review of Socionetwork Strategies, Springer, vol. 14(2), pages 205-225, October.
    15. Blanc, Antoine & Huault, Isabelle, 2014. "Against the digital revolution? Institutional maintenance and artefacts within the French recorded music industry," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 10-23.
    16. Hardin, Ashley E. & Bauman, Christopher W. & Mayer, David M., 2020. "Show me the … family: How photos of meaningful relationships reduce unethical behavior at work," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 161(C), pages 93-108.
    17. Chun-Liang Chen, 2021. "Cultural product innovation strategies adopted by the performing arts industry," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 15(5), pages 1139-1171, July.
    18. Fernando, Dulini & Patriotta, Gerardo, 2020. "“Us versus them”: Sensemaking and identity processes in skilled migrants’ experiences of occupational downgrading," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 55(4).
    19. Virve Peteri, 2017. "Bad Enough Ergonomics," SAGE Open, , vol. 7(1), pages 21582440166, January.
    20. Joe Nandhakumar & Nikiforos S. Panourgias & Harry Scarbrough, 2013. "From Knowing It to “Getting It”: Envisioning Practices in Computer Games Development," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 24(4), pages 933-955, December.
    21. Elfenbein, Hillary Anger, 2007. "Emotion in Organizations: A Review in Stages," Institute for Research on Labor and Employment, Working Paper Series qt2bn0n9mv, Institute of Industrial Relations, UC Berkeley.
    22. Stefan W. Konlechner & Barbara Müller & Wolfgang H. Güttel & Irina Koprax & Karin Link, 2016. "Sheep in Wolf’s Clothing: The Role of Artifacts in Interpretive Schema Change," Schmalenbach Business Review, Springer;Schmalenbach-Gesellschaft, vol. 17(2), pages 129-150, August.
    23. Vilnai-Yavetz, Iris & Gilboa, Shaked & Mitchell, Vince, 2021. "Experiencing atmospherics: The moderating effect of mall experiences on the impact of individual store atmospherics on spending behavior and mall loyalty," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 63(C).
    24. Sabina Siebert & Stacey Bushfield & Graeme Martin & Brian Howieson, 2018. "Eroding ‘Respectability’: Deprofessionalization Through Organizational Spaces," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 32(2), pages 330-347, April.
    25. Tian, Xiaocong, 2022. "The art of rhetoric: Host country political hostility and the rhetorical strategies of foreign subsidiaries in developing economies," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 57(5).

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