Emotional Labour in Project Delivery Teams

While project management scholarship has traditionally emphasised technical coordination, scheduling and risk, comparatively little attention has been paid to the relational and affective dimensions of project work. This project examines the emotional labour required to keep project teams functioning, particularly during periods of pressure, uncertainty or crisis. The aim is to develop a richer understanding of how emotions shape performance, cohesion and resilience in project environments, and what this means for how project roles, leadership and team structures are designed and supported.

Candidates may focus on topics such as:

• How emotional labour affects individual wellbeing, team cohesion and project outcomes
• Cultural, linguistic and hierarchical sources of emotional strain in global or distributed teams
• Emotional leadership during crises and how teams recover and rebuild afterwards
• How digital communication tools change the visibility, intensity and management of emotional labour
• The gendered and racialised dimensions of emotional work in project environments

Applicants should have a background in management, organisational psychology, or related disciplines, with strong qualitative or mixed-methods skills. An interest in the emotional and relational side of work is essential.

Supervisors

Dr Chinomso Nwagboso

Sulaimon Adebiyi