Emotion Management by Proxy: How HR Functions Manage Emotions in Devolved Settings

Change and crisis increase the need for organizations to manage employee emotions, such as fear or resistance to change. The human resource (HR) function is vital for such emotion management. In the Nordic context, characterized by pronounced human resource management (HRM) devolvement, managers interact with employees independently, while HR provides support and HRM practices. The article argues that devolvement necessitates a reconceptualization of the HR function’s emotion management. Drawing on meeting observations and interviews in a Swedish public sector organization, the article examines how the HR function performs emotion management in a devolved setting. The concept of ‘emotion management by proxy’ is introduced, referring to the emotion management performed through an intermediary in order to manage the emotions of a third party. Emotion management by proxy was found to be achieved through three main tactics: managing managers’ emotions; monitoring stakeholder emotions; and prompting and supporting managers’ emotion work.