About the authors:

Marius Jones, PHD, Senior consultant AFF:

Marius holds a master’s degree in economics and a PhD in Management from the Norwegian School of Economics. He has over seven years of experience as a consultant and leadership roles within the Armed Forces. Marius has extensive teaching experience at the university level and is a highly sought-after communicator. His core expertise lies in organizational learning and managing emotions within organizations. He primarily works with leadership development.

 

Elisabeth Norman, Professor at the Department of Psychosocial Science, Faculty of Psychology at the University of Bergen.

Elisabeth is interested in how people monitor and regulate their thoughts and feelings in their everyday lives. Examples of research questions she has explored include the role of metacognitive feelings in reading and learning, how implicit learning may give rise to intuitive feelings, and the extent to which unconscious
knowledge can be strategically controlled. She is also interested in theoretical questions related to metacognition, metaemotion, emotion and consciousness.

 

Therese Egeland, Professor at the Department of Strategy and Management, NHH Norwegian School of Economics.

Therese’s professional motivation is to help people cooperate effectively. Her research focuses on leadership, team research, psychological contracts, board of directors, and the silver economy. Therese is part of DIG (Digital Innovation for Sustainable Growth) research center and the CORE (Cooperation Research)-group at NHH. In addition, she co-hosts the podcast “Lederskap” and is one of the co-founders of the team development tool Start Smart.

 

Vidar Schei, Professor and Head of the Department of Strategy and Management, NHH Norwegian School of Economics.

Vidar’s main interests are in social decision making, including topics such as team and cooperation processes, negotiation and conflict management, and creativity and culture. He is part of DIG (Digital Innovation for Sustainable Growth) research center and the CORE (Cooperation Research) -group at NHH. Vidar is also one of the co-founders of the team development tool Start Smart.

This is an AI-generated summary of the publication "Don't calm down!", published in the Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal.

The article explores how affective climate, shared norms related to the expression, use, and regulation of emotions, emerges in start-ups. Through a 22-month longitudinal study of five early-stage tech companies, the researchers identified three key mechanisms that shape an authentic affective climate of openness and emotional authenticity.

What is Affective Climate?

Affective climate refers to shared norms and expectations in an organization that influence how emotions are experienced, expressed, and regulated. An authentic affective climate, where team members feel safe to express their genuine emotions, has been shown to enhance creativity, reduce burnout, and strengthen collaboration.

How Does an Authentic Affective Climate Emerge in Start-Ups?

While prior research has shown that an organization’s affective climate matters for performance and creativity, we know less about how it emerges. The study identifies three key mechanisms that contribute to the development of an authentic affective climate:

Positive emotions:

When team members experience and express positive emotions, it creates a sense of safety, making it easier to share negative emotions without fear of negative consequences. Sharing negative emotions can be helpful in teams, and expressions of fear and frustration are more constructive if people in the team also experience and express positive emotions

Constructive meta-emotions: Meta-emotions describe how individuals relate to their own emotions. This research paper finds that leaders who view their negative emotions as valuable and informative are also more likely to engage with and validate others' emotions.

Emotional validation and problem-solving

Validating emotions, combined with a problem-solving approach to negative emotions, fosters a culture of openness and constructive dialogue. When fear and frustrations are shared and discussed, teams are more able to identify and solve problems, and often come to view negative emotions as resources

Practical Implications for Leaders and Founders

The study highlights several actions leaders – in start-ups and possibly elsewhere - can take to develop an authentic affective climate:

Foster positive emotions and relationships: Create a culture that encourages positive emotions and strong interpersonal relationships among team members.

Develop constructive meta-emotions: Help team members see the value of both positive and negative emotions for learning and growth. Encourage positive emotions, but don’t do it in a way that discourages fear and frustration.

Prioritize emotional validation: Acknowledge and take team members' emotions seriously, creating space to discuss and address underlying challenges. Emotions should not have the final say, but they often spark interesting discussions.

By focusing on these actions, leaders can create a affective climate that promotes creativity, collaboration, and resilience in demanding situations.

For a deeper understanding of the findings, we recommend reading the full article:

"Don't calm down! How affective climate emerges in start-ups", published in the Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal.

 



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