Adrian Carr

Critical theory and the management of change in organizations

Raises the initial problem of what is meant by the term critical theory and discusses some common misconceptions that have arisen about the meaning of this term. The dialectic logic that was championed by the group of scholars collectively known as the Frankfurt School is outlined and it is noted how dialectics transcends binary oppositional thinking. It is argued that the body of work of these scholars has a strong contemporary relevance to issues in the management of change in organizations. The other papers in the issue are introduced.

Understanding emotion and emotionality in a process of change

Aspects of the psychodynamics of organisation change are explored and in particular how emotion and emotionality should be conceived. A case is made to go beyond the dichotomous world of “rational” versus “emotional” and develop a greater appreciation of how the rational and the emotional can be “fused” or act in a co‐existent and co‐dependent fashion where one cannot be understood in the absence of the other. Read through the optic of identity, acts of so called rationality may simply be an expression of a deeper, albeit unconscious realm – psychodynamics in which emotion and emotionality are significant. It is through the optic of identity that the individual’s attachment to the organisation is described and the meaning of behaviour in the midst of change is canvassed. It is noted that, depending upon the degree of identification with the organisation, one encounters behaviours that reflect dislodgement of identity and those more commonly associated with the processes of grieving. Some tentative strategies are advanced in managing these behaviours.

Organizations, management and psychoanalysis: an overview

An overview is presented of some basic psychoanalytic insights into organisations that collectively reinforce the reasons why management studies should concern itself with psychoanalysis. The paper highlights the different psychoanalytically informed approaches that have been adopted thus far in the organisation literature and then raises some issues related to those who seek to use psychoanalytically informed insight to make interventions and manage organisation dynamics.

The psychodynamics of organisation change

Aspects of the psychodynamics of organisation change are explored and in particular how emotion and emotionality can be read. A case is made to go beyond the dichotomous world of “rational” versus “emotional” and develop a greater appreciation of how the rational and the emotional can be “fused” or act in a co‐existent and co‐dependent fashion where one cannot be understood in the absence of the other. Read through the optic of identity, acts of so‐called rationality may simply be an expression of a deeper, albeit unconscious realm – psychodynamics, in which emotion and emotionality are significant. It is through the optic of identity that the individual’s attachment to the organisation is described and the meaning of behaviour in the midst of change is canvassed. It is noted that, depending upon the degree of identification with the organisation, one encounters behaviours that reflect dislodgement of identity and those more commonly associated with the processes of grieving. Some tentative strategies are advanced in managing these behaviours.

Metatheorizing the Dialectic of Self and Other The Psychodynamics in Work Organizations

Western thought is imbued with thinking based on dichotomy and binary opposition. Embedded in this thinking, however, are not only oppositions but hierarchy. The existence of binaries suggests a struggle for predominance. One proposition must prevail, and the other must be vanquished. The fields of organization behavior and administrative theory reflect this form of rationality. The terms self and other have been cast as constituent elements of the human condition, but the presumption is that self must necessarily be privileged more than other. The authors disagree that such a privileging must occur. Instead, they contend that self and other are mutually constituted. The central focus of this article is an exploration of the self-other relationship that highlights its dialectic nature and, in so doing, provides a deeper appreciation of how these dynamics are manifested in work organizations as elements of trust, ethics, and mourning.

Jung, archetypes and mirroring in organizational change management: Lessons from a longitudinal case study

Jung’s discussion of archetypes and the psychodynamics of mirroring is applied to the results of a ten‐year longitudinal case study. Empirical evidence of such psychodynamics and insights into how these psychodynamics are related to the management of change are presented. Directions for further research are also discussed.

The fourth hermeneutic in marketing theory

Murray and Ozanne (1991) provided evidence of paradigmatic approaches in market and consumer research by classifying the field into Positivism, Interpretivism and Critical Theory. We discuss these approaches and celebrate their contribution. We posit, however, that paradigms are symptomatic of an epistemological trap that privileges knowledge to the detriment of other vital virtues. We propose to employ Capra’s triadic concept (Capra, 1997) to develop the notion of ‘paradigmapping’ and demonstrate that this concept can be employed to transcend incommensurability in the field of marketing. We also propose to supplement Alvesson and Skoldberg’s (2000) ‘triple’ hermeneutics of individual reflection, social construction and critical theory with a healthier balance between knowledge and other virtues. We posit a relativist position where we clearly wish to argue the case for considering marketing’s potential as a moral art rather than the amoral science we submit it has become.

Anxiety and Depression among School Principals – Warning, Principalship Can Be Hazardous to Your Health

A principal who participated in an exploratory study to ascertain the extent and sources of stress among school principals realized the apparent isolation and lack of support felt by a significant number of school principals. Argues that the high incidence of anxiety and depression among principals is in large measure related to the insistence on educational administration being a technical activity. Concludes with an appeal for a new notion of educational administration and raises a number of issues for further research.

Space and time in organizational change management

Purpose – The paper aims to introduce the manner in which management and organization theory have viewed space and time as significant resources and to put forward a number of more contemporary views as to how space and time is both managed and experienced.Design/methodology/approach – The paper adopts a postmodern approach in assembling what it regards as “fragments” from a variety of disciplinary discourses on space and time. Each fragment presents, putatively, a different voice, theme or motif which are intended to help the reader better understand the trajectories contained in the other papers in the volume.Findings – The paper finds that conceptions of space and time are fundamental to the manner in which organizations are managed and organized and are a symbolic order inter‐related to themes of power and control. The manner in which we experience space and time is open to manipulation and specifically a form compression that displaces critical reflection and may make individuals prone to external lo...

The Psychostructure of Work: “BEND ME, SHAPE ME, ANYWAY YOU WANT ME, AS LONG AS YOU LOVE ME IT'S ALRIGHT”

Organizations, in their structuring and administrative practices, stimulate and promote certain personality traits and attitudes in the individuals who work in them. Focuses on the contention that a “psychostructure” is developed which can be identified but may also be the source of anxiety, depression and other psychopathologies. Discusses the results of a recent study of anxiety and depression among principals in public schools within the context of the development of a psychostructure which is reflectant of a particular doctrine of public administration.