Abstract
Project management research increasingly recognises social and relational processes, yet the field has not developed an integrated project level account of how emotional dynamics emerge, circulate, stabilise and alter collective behaviour within temporary project systems. This paper develops a theory of emotional dynamics as emergent operating conditions: collectively produced emotional patterns that become sufficiently stabilised to shape how formal project mechanisms are interpreted and enacted. The argument is that project actors do not interpret plans, risks, decisions and relationships in emotionally neutral ways. Emotional dynamics arise from project conditions, are activated by affective triggers, propagate through interaction and shared interpretation, stabilise into project emotional climates, and may reach tipping points that redirect collective behaviour.
The theory identifies six constructs: project conditions, affective triggers, emotional propagation, project emotional climate, emotional tipping points and project emotional regulation mechanisms. It also distinguishes between amplifying trajectories that increase project fragility and integrative trajectories that strengthen resilience and collective action. The contribution is to shift attention from emotion as an individual trait, interpersonal issue or leadership competency to emotion as a project level process. Existing literatures on emotional intelligence, psychological safety, trust, conflict, leadership and wellbeing provide important building blocks, but they have not been integrated into a project level theory of emotional dynamics under temporary organising conditions.