Affective boundaries: The power effects of objects of emotion in collaborative encounters

Abstract

Organization studies has (re)turned to affect, a development that has brought affective tensions—build-ups of energy, or vitalities—to the fore of research. Previous studies on affect in organizations underline the organizational and transformational effects of affective milieus or atmospheres. I contribute to this research with a micro perspective on how affect shapes intersubjective relationships. I do so through an ethnographically inspired study of SusPens, a fin-tech start-up that uses algorithmic tools to screen sustainable investments. In the course of my empirical engagement, I identified recurring tensions in the collaboration between tech professionals and business professionals. I unpack these tensions in three collaborative encounters, focusing on how the algorithm functioned as a common reference point as well as a barrier for the collaboration. To conceptualize the observed tensions, the article builds on Sara Ahmed’s concept of objects of emotion and introduces affective boundaries as a theoretical construct for understanding the power effects of affective circulation. The article details how affective boundaries are installed through the affective misalignments that arise as the algorithm circulates as an object of emotion among the team members. The article concludes that the installment of affective boundaries delineates who is included in and who is excluded from the collaboration, pointing to how power works affectively in intersubjective relations, empowering some and disqualifying others.