The Psychodynamics of Work and Organizations

An individual's working life undergoes the same intrapsychic conflicts as other aspects of experience. Yet, as a subject of psychoanalytic inquiry, the world of work has largely been ignored. In this innovative book, William M. Czander demonstrates that applying depth psychology to the organization and its employees provides a deeper understanding of the American workplace than traditional industrial psychology has offered. Using a psychoanalytic framework, Czander examines such issues as interactions between employees and management, the conscious and unconscious forces that bind fellow employees together, and the role of autonomy in people's lives. Most important, he details a means of intervention in the form of organizational consultation based on this more profound conceptualization of the dynamics of the workplace. The first section of the book presents theoretical background, and the second applies theory to specific cases. Czander presents three major theories of psychoanalysis as they relate to work and the organization: Freudian and classical psychoanalytic theory, object relations theory, and self psychology theory. He explores how a psychoanalyst thinks about work and how work and the organization interact with the employees' unconscious motivations and ideation. He then applies these theories to actual case studies of organizational consultations. The consultation process is explained, including how a particular diagnosis and rationale for intervention is obtained. Czander concludes with a discussion of the practice of psychoanalytic consulting and its utility and relevance to the world of contemporary organizations. Providing illuminating discussion on myriad issues related to the psychology of the workplace, this book is an ideal resource for a variety of mental health professionals: psychoanalysts especially interested in organizational consulting, organizational psychologists desiring a new perspective on their work, and clinicians from different disciplines whose clients are struggling with issues surrounding their work environments. It serves as an advanced text for courses in industrial organization, clinical and social work, and business management.