The systems psychodynamic experiences of organisational transformation amongst support staff

Abstract

Orientation: The unconscious impact of organisational transformation is often neglected and even denied. This research revealed the manifestation and impact of high levels and different forms of anxiety experienced by employees during transformation.Research objective: The objective was to study and describe the manifesting systems psychodynamic behaviour amongst support staff during organisational transformation.Motivation for the study: Organisational transformation is mostly researched from a leadership viewpoint. Little research data are available on the experiences of support staff on the receiving end of decisions about and implementation of transformation.Research design, approach and method: A qualitative approach within the phenomenological hermeneutic interpretive stance was used. The research was set in a government organisation. A semi-structured interview with four conveniently and purposefully chosen support staff members was thematically analysed using systems psychodynamics as theoretical paradigm.Main findings: Four themes manifested, namely de-authorisation and detachment, being bullied and seduced by leadership, the organisation in the mind as incompetent, and a dangerous and persecutory system. In the discussion, the basic assumptions and relevant constructs are interpreted.Practical implications: Understanding the transformation experiences of support staff could assist the industrial psychologist to facilitate appropriate support in coaching more junior staff towards increasing wellness and work performance.Contribution: Organisational transformation is highlighted as an anxiety provoking experience especially on the lower levels of the organisation. Its potentially deep and complex psychological impact could possibly derail parts of the system if not managed in a psychologically contained manner.

‘You have to keep your head on your shoulders’: A systems psychodynamic perspective on women leaders

“…These findings are not coincidental and the focus on caring or nurturing roles, managing day-to-day tasks and, lastly, strategic positions (Bygren & Gahler, 2012;Koortzen & Cilliers, 2007) might be a defence against evolving conscious anxiety. Women leaders refer to the concept of the 'mother' in different ways, to feel secure (Bion, 1961) and to manage anxiety by referring to the role of a (imaginative) caring parental figure (Steyn & Cilliers, 2016). On the one hand, it provides women leaders with an alternative and therefore the perception of a small and safe space within which to take up the leadership role.…”

“…It derives from experiences of (unconscious) anxiety, exposure to positive and negative aspects of the organisation (Cilliers & Koortzen, 2005;Steyn & Cilliers, 2016) and the influences of leadership, role formation, identity boundaries and authority, which manifest as unconscious patterns of ego defences, such as fight or flight responses . As a result of the unconscious need to feel secure (Bion, 1961), the individual or group then tries to alleviate anxiety, for example, by pairing with powerful others and splitting from others to build smaller, seemingly safer, systems , as explained above.…”

“…Systems psychodynamic theories provide an organisational approach to the understanding and explaining of systemic structures (Steyn & Cilliers, 2016). According to these theories, systemic structures are related to deeply entrenched, unspoken and unconscious individual, social and organisational anxiety (Armstrong, 2005).…”

“…Unconscious fear can lead to the regression in individuals and groups, an increase in conflicts from a defensive position and deteriorating relationships as a social defence mechanism to contain anxiety (Van Tonder, 2012). Steyn and Cilliers (2016) provide an overview of five possible group behaviour reactions based on a broad literature review about managing anxiety in the system, such as: (1) relating to an imaginative caring parental figure; (2) pairing up of individuals and/or powerful objects to manage the pain of anxiety; (3) fight or flight against an (imaginative) enemy; (4) one-ness or we-ness to create individuality, whilst joining in a force to experience health and (5) me-ness, in the way of denouncing or detaching from the group affiliation to cope with emotional demands.…”

Women Leaders as Containers: Systems Psychodynamic Insights into their Unconscious Roles

“…Systems psychodynamics theory, known as the Tavistock approach (Miller, 1993) or the Group Relations Stance (Brunner, Nutkevitch and Sher, 2006) is influenced by psychoanalysis, which provides patterns of interpretations from the perspective of the unconscious to understand experiences, processes, feelings, behavior and the systemic structure (Cilliers, Greyvenstein, and Africa, 2012;Steyn and Cilliers, 2016) based on underlying anxieties (Armstrong, 2005;Klein, 2005).…”