Theoretical Underpinning of the Institutional Work

Abstract

Psycho-analysts, psychiatrists and social scientists with a psycho-analytic orientation have made important advances in the understanding of how institutions work and how unconscious processes affect organisational life. Their understandings have been successfully applied to bring about beneficial changes in a wide variety of commercial and public service organisations, by practitioners taking up the role of organisational consultants. This chapter presents an introduction to some of the insights which have emerged from this work and some of the similarities and differences between a consultancy and a counselling or therapeutic role.