Guilt feelings in generational leadership transition in organizations. A psychoanalytical and socio-educational study

Author(s):

Maria Grazia Riva(presenting / submitting)

Conference:

ECER 2015

Network:

32. Organizational Education

Format:

Paper

Session Information

32 SES 06, Transition of Organizations (Ethics, Emotions and Fun)

Paper Session

Time:

2015-09-09

15:30-17:00

Room:

3004. [Main]

Chair:

Andreas Schröer

Contribution

Background:

The question of the emotional difficulties in generational leadership transition in organizations is discussed here. In particular, when charismatic leaders have been at the head of organizations for a long time – especially if they were also the founders – the question of succession becomes very complicated and weighed down by emotional issues. A strong feeling of betrayal often hovers over the organization, as a whole and in the individual members, who absorb it and are infected by it, as though the previous bosses-fathers felt usurped by the new leaders-sons. The older leaders are finding it hard to keep up with the rapidity of contemporary changes, and to leave power to the following generations with even greater difficulties. In this often strained transition of powers, old leaders inject heavy poisonous trails into the organization (Bryman, Collinson, Grint, Jackson, Uhl-Bien, 2011; Skipton, Lewis, Freedman, Passmore, 2012; Kets De Vries, 2001; Kaes, 2012)

The research question can be defined as follows:

The leadership of an organization is based on asymmetrical power (Western, 2013), which solicits the dimension of the oedipal transference (Freud). Therefore, what happens when no attention is paid in organizations to the emotional and group dynamics in the transition from one leader to another, or from one power group to another and from who is older to who is younger? The aggressive and destructive dynamics that are activated in the organization, understood now as an explicit and hidden ring of combat, can naturally evolve towards an unblocking and a positive transition or do they need someone to take on the role of a ‘third party’ to break the vicious circle? What role can a consultant or training play on the group dynamics? (Vansina, Vansina-Cobbaert, 2008; Western, 2013, Perini, 2007; Kets de Vries, Guillen, Korotov , Florent-Treacy, 2010). What role can the education of the leaders and of the members of the organizations play? (Ulivieri Stiozzi, 2013)

A psychosocial case-study (Hollway, Jefferson, 2013), performed in a large provider of socio-educational services for adults and disabled people, is presented here. The previous leader, who had been the manager for about 25 years and was very controlling and authoritative, was forced to leave through a stratagem by a new younger leader.

The objectives of the study:

were to observe the dynamics of the organization in the transition phase of the changeover of powers and to identify the reasons for the blockage it was in. After a first phase of identifying some unsolved central issues, the objective focused on the observation of the role and evolution of the feelings of guilt in the organization for having dethroned the father-leader, and how these major guilt feelings blocked the functioning mechanisms of the organization.

The theoretical framework:

uses the psychoanalytical approach applied to individuals and organizations (Kets de Vries, 2006; Western, 2013; Vansina, Vansina-Cobbaert, 2008), according to the model of Group Relations (Perini, 2008; Armstrong, 2014; Obholzer, Zagier Roberts, 1994) and Psychosocial Research (Hoggert, Clarke, 2009; Hollway, Jefferson, 2013), that manage psychoanalytical concepts and categories to illuminate core issues within the socio-educational, organizational and working processes and practices. These approaches are combined with those of Critical Socio-Pedagogy (Kincheloe, 2008; Fook, 2012) and Clinical Pedagogy (Massa, 1993; Riva, 2000 e 2004). Only an inter-disciplinary view, capable of reading the processes and different levels and the interrelationships between levels (Morin, 2008), can come close to a deep understanding.

Method

The study was conducted in the theoretical framework of Psychosocial Research, guided by principles and psychoanalytical categories applied to society, having as its objective understanding the dynamics of an organization in transition in the changeover of powers from an old to a young generation of leaders, to identify whether there was room so that these dynamics could be made to evolve, and the role that could be played by the education of the leaders and members of the organization. The study, developed according to the methodology of the Psycho-social Case-Study (Hinshelwood, 2013, Hollway, Jefferson, 2013) was structured in several steps, over two years: *a phase of observation in the organization, according to the institutional observation method (Hinshelwood, Skogstad, 2000), guided by psychoanalytical principles and understood as an evolution of the infant observation model *a phase of interviews with the previous and current management groups and the members of the organization, according to the method of free association narrative interviews (Hollway, Jefferson, 2013) *A phase of shadowing (McDonald, 2005) the clinical-pedagogical consultant called by the organization over time *a phase of data-analysis according to holistic analysis and interpretation (Hollway, Jefferson, 2013; Clarke, Hoggett, 2009; Reid, West, 2014), using listening to the transference and counter-transference of the researcher, as well instruments such as pro-formas and pen-portraits, in order to create a container for the contents and give them a order. *a phase of back-talk (Cardano, 2011) with the members and leaders of the organization, as well as with the consultant *a phase of reflectivity and re-elaboration of all the feedback received *a phase of theoretical re-elaboration of what has emerged, in view of a conceptual clarification of the contributions of the study to the education of the leaders and the members of the organization on one hand and, on the other hand, the possible interrelations between the different disciplines which have formed the backdrop to the study. The study was carried out by a Senior Researcher and by a Junior Researcher, and discussed in its various steps with a Supervisor. The experience of the study has entailed constant learning for the two researchers who have always been aware of their constitutive involvement in the research process and of the fact that the research data, both in its collection and in its analysis and interpretation, is always co-constructed between the gaze of the researcher and the point of view of the subject observed.

Expected Outcomes

A first result concerns the on-the-job training of the researchers. They identified how the changeover of power from the old leader to the new leader and the new group around him, which took place in a formally correct way but effectively at emotional level, was perceived by the two leaders, the old one and the new one, and by the members of the organization, as an arbitrary removal from power of the old boss, as a betrayal. Such an experience was based on considering “natural” the predominance of the old leadership, which had often been experienced with discomfort and complaints but no thought had ever been given to the possibility that that set-up, deemed as eternal and unchangeable, could ever really be modified. The arrival of a younger leader, courageous and capable of facing up to the taboo of killing the father (Freud, Totem and Taboo), entailed a radical and revolutionary break in the “skin of the organization”’ (Anzieu, 1996; Kaes, 2008 e 2012), the scope of which went beyond the official changeover of powers. The old leader continued, consciously and unconsciously to inject emotional poison into the organization. The plan of reality was completely altered by these powerful but hidden dysfunctional dynamics, which had even caused the Provider to accumulate economic losses. Until the arrival of the consultant no change had been possible because the whole organization was dominated by important feelings of guilt and betrayal, even though these were not clearly perceived. The consultant played a role of “third party”. The organization was thus able to begin reflecting, questioning itself and re-projecting itself once again. The reflections of the final phase of the study led to identifying generally the central role of the feelings of guilt and betrayal in the phases of transition of powers in organizations.

References

Armstrong, D. Social Defences Against Anxiety: Explorations in a Paradigm. Karnac, 2014. Bainbridge, A., West, L. Psychoanalysis and Education: Minding a Gap. Karnac, 2012. Bove, C. Ricerca educativa e formazione. Angeli, 2009. Bryman, A., Collinson, D., Grint, K., Jackson, B., Uhl-Bien, M., The SAGE Handbook of Leadership. Sage, 2011. Cardano, M. La ricerca qualitativa. Il Mulino, 2011. Clarke, S., Hoggett, P. Researching Beneath the Surface: Psycho-Social Research Methods in Practice. Karnac, 2009. Fook, J. Social Work: A Critical Approach to Practice. Sage, 2012. Fotaki, M., Long, S., Schwartz, H.S., What Can Psychoanalysis Offer Organization Studies Today? Taking Stock of Current Developments and Thinking about Future Directions. Organization Studies 2012 33: 1105. Hollway, W., Jefferson, T. Doing Qualitative Research Differently. A Psychosocial Approach, Sage, 2013. Kaes, R. Souffrance et psychopathologie des liens institutionnels. Dunod, 2012. Kets de Vries, M. Struggling with the Demon:Perspectives on Individual and Organizational Irrationality. International Universities Press, 2001. Kets de Vries, M., Guillen, L., Korotov, K. & Florent-Treacy E. The Coaching Kaleidoscope: Insights from the Inside. Palgrave McMillan, 2010. Massa, R. La clinica della formazione. Angeli, 1993. Morin, E. On Complexity. Ed Hampton Press, 2008. Mortari, L. Cultura della ricerca e pedagogia. Carocci, 2007. Obholzer, A., Zagier Roberts, V. The Unconscious at Work: Individual and Organizational Stress in the Human Services. Routledge, 1994. Palmieri, C., Prada, G. Non di sola relazione. Mimesis, 2008. Perini, M., L'organizzazione nascosta. Angeli, 2008. Riva, MG. Il lavoro pedagogico. Guerini, 2004. Riva, MG. Studio clinico sulla formazione. Angeli, 2000. Schwartz, H. Society Against Itself: Political Correctness and Organizational Self-Destruction. Karnac, 2010. Skipton, L. , Lewis, R., Freedman, A., Passmore, J. The Wiley-Blackwell handbook of the psychology of leadership, change and organizational development. John Wiley & Sons, 2013. Ulivieri Stiozzi, Il counselling formativo. Angeli, 2013. Vansina, L., Vansina-Cobbaert, M.J. Psychodynamics for Consultants and Managers. Wiley, 2008. Western, S. Leadership. A Critical Text . Sage, 2013.

Author Information

Maria Grazia Riva (presenting / submitting)

University of Milan-Bicocca

Department of Human Sciences for Education

Milan

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