Seth Allcorn

The Surface of Organizational Boundaries: A View from Psychoanalytic Object Relations Theory

Organizational life contains many influences. Among these are its many divisions, sections, departments, professions and groups. The presence of these constituent parts of an organization directs attention to the points at which they connect to each other. Contemporary discussion of the relationship of these parts is confined to exploring organizational boundaries that contain a conceptual concreteness that belies their ultimate experiential significance. We suggest that the notion of boundary may be extended to explore their sensate surfaces that contain primitive, pre-verbal, pre-symbolic, and pre-subjective characteristics. Human beings experience the world as surface-to-surface contact where tactile sensation reveals hardness or softness, warmth or cold, pattern and shape, and most of all a sense at the point of surface-to-surface contact of containment. We suggest that it is within the autistic–contiguous mode of experience that the sensation of organizational boundaries is located and with it the ultimate psychological meaning of organizational structure.

Parallel Virtual Organizations Managing and Working in the Virtual Workplace

The growing presence in the workplace of computers that are linked together to form intraorganizational networks (intranets), thus enabling unprecedented electronic employee connectedness, contains within it a collision between the traditional hierarchically organized physical workplace and the potentially chaotic virtual workplace. This article describes this new workplace context as a parallel virtual organization (PVO) that possesses its own values and culture independent of its host culture, the traditional bureaucratic hierarchical organization (BHO). The growth of PVOs means that a transitional space must be developed initially between them and their BHO counterparts to enable the eventual merger of the two organization forms to create a new, more dynamic, and fluid organization that, by its nature, innovates to keep pace with rapid and unrelenting change in the marketplace. The psychological, social, and technical aspects of the rise of the parallel virtual organization are discussed.

The Psychodynamics of Regression in Work Groups

Individual regression in groups stems from anxiety arising from each individuals attempt to construct a psychodynamic equilibrium between ones demands for adequate self-identity (individuality that is not a threat to other group members) and group membership (affiliation that is not a threat to ones identity). The dilemma of reconciling needs for individuality and group membership provokes annihilation anxiety in which one resorts to regressive action in order to protect ones self from anxiety associated with uncertain object-relations, annihilation and feelings of persecution, and loss of affiliation. As a result, group cultures often are characterized by unconscious actions and shared fantasies stemming from the sum of individual regressed and primitive coping defenses. Individual regression and other primitive defensive actions are observable at the group level of analysis, and lend themselves to description as a group culture. The psychodynamics of individual and group regression with four work-group typologies is illustrated. Each typology represents a predominant coping pattern observed in groups as members attempt to contain their basic anxiety.

Workplace psychodynamics and the management of organizational inertia

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a psychoanalytical approach to dealing with organizational inertia.Design/methodology/approach – The concept of organizational inertia is defined and factors contributing to insight inertia and action inertia are delineated.Findings – It was found that applying psychoanalytically informed theory provides alternative insight into dealing with organizational inertia.Originality/value – The paper illustrates how human nature influences the workplace in general and contributes to organizational inertia in particular.

Dealing with organizational inertia: psychoanalytical insight and instruction

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present the concept of communities of practice from a psychoanalytically informed perspective.Design/methodology/approach – The concept of communities of practice is defined, their working described, and negative attributes delineated.Findings – The paper finds that through the exploitation of basic skills, the development and sharing of a shared language, incorporation of previous relevant experience and current information over time, the community of practice becomes more open. The group is better able to combine existing knowledge with emerging understandings.Practical implications – Psychoanalytically informed theory is applied to provide alternative insight into communities of practice and how they impede organizational progress.Originality/value – The paper illustrates how human nature influences the workplace in general and contributes to the working of communities of practice in particular.

THE NARCISSISTIC MANAGER, AVOIDANT ORGANIZATION, AND INTERRUPTIONS IN ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING

This paper describes how Avoidant Organization Disorder, a common form of narcissism, thwarts organizational health and performance. Avoidant Organization Disorder is juxtaposed with interruptions in organizational learning. A model illustrating the possible relationship between the two and how Avoidant Organization Disorder may precipitate interruptions in organization learning is presented.

Organizational Change and the Analytic Third

Understanding the theory and practice of psychoanalytically informed organizational diagnosis and change requires a concept that captures the experiential nature of working in depth with organizations. The analytic third is one such helpful analytic concept. It accentuates the intersubjective dimension of the participant observer of organizational culture.

Perversions of Democracy

The workplace is a complex and puzzling milieu to try to understand. Logic and common sense do not always apply. Organizations may possess a culture where work groups and subcultures act in ways that promote communication and effective organizational performance. This may happen by management and workers acknowledging and working with, rather than suppressing and denying, internal differences, new ideas, challenges to the status quo, and conflicts. Within such organizations, plurality, diversity, conflict, and complexity are driven by democratic processes. These processes are supported by a culture that emphasizes cooperation and embraces chaotic properties of emergent direction, institutions, and relationships capable of containing paradox and the uncanny emotions associated with it.

Shame, Oppression, and Persecution

The social and emotional paranoid-schizoid roots of aggression and violence in the self and within the workplace are a key to better understanding violence and aggression in groups and organizations. The intent in this chapter is to examine the psychological nature of the relationship between human nature and the origins of fear and aggression at work (Czander, 1993; Diamond, 1993; Kets de Vries & Miller, 1984; Levinson, 1972, 1981; Zaleznik & Kets de Vries, 1975). We suggest that oppressive organizational cultures and persecutory organizational experiences are toxic and contributing factors to violence and aggression at work.

Immersion and Diagnosis

Organizational change is difficult whether you are a CEO, executive, manager, supervisor, or consultant. There are no simple answers, no stepwise quick fix that does justice to the complexities of organizational life. There are also no easy ways to avoid the inevitable costs that are associated with organizational change (emotional, financial, time and effort, and unintended consequences). What does make a difference is the approach described in this chapter and throughout the book. Our theory and method are a mix of change elements from more traditional approaches (Argyris, 1970; Burke, 1982; Harrison & Shirom, 1999; Harrison, 2005) that are combined with a psychodynamic model for organizational diagnosis and change. Genuine organizational change requires patience, deep listening, a sense of timing about participants’ readiness for change, and sensitivity to the timing and rhythm of change.