The Cornerstone of Psychoanalytic Organizational Analysis: Psychological Reality, Transference and Counter-Transference in the Workplace

Abstract

We start with the premise that organizations are processes of human behavior that are experienced as experiential and perceptual systems governed by unconscious processes. This starting point leads us to discuss psychoanalytically informed organizational perspectives as a means of understanding how psychological reality shapes organizational dynamics. In particular, we argue that psychoanalytic organizational diagnosis requires a central role for transference and counter-transference. That is, interpreting data through the lens of transference and counter-transference assists in unpacking organizational identity and culture by relying upon an `experience near' stance for examining the narratives of organizational life. This introspective and empathic stance makes transference and counter-transference one of the core elements of a psychoanalytically informed organizational consultation. We provide a case illustration and conclude with some thoughts on how leaders and members of organizations can improve organizational performance by attending to the complex nature of psychological reality in the workplace.

Diversity dynamics operating between students lecturers and management in a historically Black university: The lecturers perspective

“…It is proposed that these lecturers then introject these parts and through projective identification behave in accordance with these denigrated, disavowed parts, whereas the students and management probably hold onto the idealised parts. It seems that the relationship between the stakeholders mainly occurred within the paranoid-schizoid position (see Diamond & Allcorn, 2003;Jaques, 1990;Klein, 1985;Menzies Lyth, 1990). The projection of denigrated, disavowed and idealised parts is probably an attempt at a reversal of unconscious roles -in the past the denigrated parts and inferiority were projected onto Black people and the idealised parts and superiority were projected onto White people Powell Pruitt & Barber, 2004;Skolnick & Green, 2004).…”

Understanding the Dynamics of Change and the Impact on Psychiatric Education

“…To fully understand change, and to deal with it effectively, we must examine why people with apparently healthy personality structures encounter significant difficulties in adapting to new situations. The dysphoric emotional reactions and the loss of self that accompany change are mediated by psychodynamic influences that include unconscious factors, ego strength, the cohesiveness of the self, conflicts, and personality style [10]. These influences operate on both individual and organizational levels.…”

Organizational Change and the Analytic Third: Locating and Attending to Unconscious Organizational Psychodynamics

“…This narrative process represents the production of a third subject, the organizational identity -a story that is a produced by organizational participants with the assistance of analysts, and which stands outside the dyad. The organizational depiction is a narrative about the subject and is derived from participant-observation, qualitative data collection, and the analysis of transference and countertransference dynamics (Diamond, 2003;Diamond and Allcorn, 2003). It emerges out of negotiated collaboration between researchers (analysts, consultants) and organizational participants (clients).…”