No Gain without Pain: Feelings an Emotional Practices in an Information System Project

This paper discusses an interpretive case study on feelings and emotions in an information systems (IS) project focusing on the subsequent emotional practices adopted by the IS project members. We analyzed the data from interviews with fourteen IS project members. The analysis revealed the connection between specific feelings (dissatisfaction, fear, irritation, blame, frustration, feeling of failure) and specific emotional practices in an IS project (using power, criticizing, airing the frustration, seeking support, adjusting situation/ adapting to unwanted situation, using black humor or sarcasm, gossiping, practicing avoidance or withdrawal). We discovered that vastly different emotional practices can relate to the same basic feeling experienced by IS project members, illuminating the humble origins of the destructive emotional practice that affects negatively the outcome of an IS project. Our study extends the current understanding of the role of feelings, and how feelings relate to emotional practices in an IS project.