The work is alive! Systems psychodynamics and the pursuit of pluralism without polarization in human relations

Abstract

This article celebrates the vitality of the systems psychodynamic approach and its potential to humanize organization studies, management practice, and working lives. An approach is a deliberate movement: a way to move closer to, inquire about, and deal with something. The systems psychodynamic approach involves moving closer to organizations and workers through research and educational efforts to study and manage the unconscious dynamics of organizing. It aims to reveal the fears, needs, and wishes that underpin rigid structures and dysfunctions in groups, organizations, and institutions—and to foster more adaptive and functional ways of dealing with those impulses. Advocates refer to this approach as ‘the work’. This article tells the story of the work as we understand it. We tell it as a life, to highlight the work’s intent and evolution, its struggles and contributions, but mostly to make the point that the work is alive. It is alive as an academic enterprise and it is a way of life. An approach devoted to dismantling defenses, countering authoritarianism, and nurturing development and democracy, we argue, is more relevant than ever. And so is what we see as the purpose of the work: fostering pluralism without polarization in human relations.

Editorial: Crafting review and essay articles for Human Relations

“…Guest et al (2022) trace the evolution of socio-technical systems (STS) theory and the Quality of Working Life (QWL) literatures detailing how they rose to prominence before becoming less fashionable, and the resurgence of interest in them that has accompanied the challenges posted by digital technologies and COVID-19. Petriglieri and Petriglieri (2022) provide an account of the development of the systems psychodynamic approach and mount a spirited case for its intellectual and practical value as a means for discovering and mitigating defences, fostering pluralism and furthering democracy in human relations. Another example is Jarzabkowski et al (2022) who show how the Strategy as Practice (SAP) field progressed from an embryonic fringe to mainstream strategy perspective through phases they refer to as 'germination', 'blossoming', 'harvesting' and most recently 'propagating'.…”

“…The 75th anniversary special issue of Human Relations contains several insightful historical reviews that also highlight the important role played by this journal as an outlet for the most influential social science research (e.g. Guest et al, 2022; Jarzabkowski et al, 2022; Petriglieri and Petriglieri, 2022; Pol et al, 2022). Guest et al (2022) trace the evolution of socio-technical systems (STS) theory and the Quality of Working Life (QWL) literatures detailing how they rose to prominence before becoming less fashionable, and the resurgence of interest in them that has accompanied the challenges posted by digital technologies and COVID-19.…”

Experiential domains in executive education

“…Calls for alternative approaches to leadership education appear in organizational literature (Mintzberg, 2004); with specific references to teaching change management (Gabriel, 2005;Uhl-Bien et al, 2007;Andrews et al, 2008;Mitroff et al, 2015;Stouten et al, 2018;Petriglieri & Petriglieri, 2022). However, within business schools, concepts related to "change" (crisis management, innovation, sustainability, etc.)…”

“…More recently, however, relationships in organizations have become increasingly tenuous, transactional, and virtual, reducing access to the unmanaged space that individuals and groups still need for reflection, experimentation, and behavioral change (Petriglieri & Petriglieri, 2010). Indeed, as organizations expand-globally, virtually-and boundaries blur, these "once valuable enclaves" dissolve (Petriglieri & Petriglieri, 2022). At best, they are no longer accessible to contain and instruct; at worst, the void they leave is filled with unacknowledged emotions and anxiety (Bion, 1989).…”

“…The setting: Boundary conditions for executive education experiential learning spaces Despite calls to integrate discovery of ways in which emotional experiences influence the work of maintaining or disrupting organizations (e.g., Petriglieri & Petriglieri, 2022), there are relatively few conceptualizations of the business school classroom as a space that fosters reflective engagement with the outside system . What are the essential boundary and internal conditions for creating a learning domain within an executive education program focused on organizational change?…”