Managing Primitive Emotions in Organizations

Abstract

The psychic life of organizations is often fraught with distress and unhappiness. Often, the primary task of the organization is hijacked by deeper, primitive, unconscious forces, to divert the work towards more destructive functioning. This article describes three main dynamics in the organizational life of a voluntary organization, which can lead to the acting out of deeper sexual and aggressive impulses. These dynamics focus on how erotic, idealized, and envied relationships can significantly interfere with sane, civilized, and humane behaviour in everyday organizational life. These dynamics are highlighted through three examples of organizational traumas. This article suggests ways of understanding and resolving these conflicts, and most importantly suggests that failure to recognize such powerful unconscious organizational forces will lead to unproductive and ultimately destructive functioning.