DYNM 607: The Psychodynamics of Organizations

Program Information

This is a graduate course that satisfies the following requirements:

Session Information

This course starts on 09/10/2009 during the Fall 2009 Semester.

Meeting Notes

DYNM 607 will meet on the following special schedule:

• Thursday, September 10, 6:30 PM - 9:30 PM
• Thursday, September 17, 6:30 PM - 9:30 PM
• Thursday, September 24, 6:30 PM - 9:30 PM
• Saturday, September 26, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
• Thursday, October 1, 6:30 PM - 9:30 PM
• Thursday, October 8, 6:30 PM - 9:30 PM
• Thursday, October 15, 6:30 PM - 9:30 PM
• Saturday, October 17, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
• Thursday, October 22, 6:30 PM - 9:30 PM

Course Information

The information on this page is intended only to provide, as is available, a summary of the course objectives, requirements, and readings. A full course syllabus will be given out in class.

Description

This is a new course in Fall 2008.

As an area of study, the psychodynamics of organizations draws our attention to the tacit, implicit, and unconscious dimensions of organizational life. It presumes that a person takes up his or her role at work by drawing on both individual history and the organizational context that helps define a role, its boundary, and the resources available to take it up. In both these aspects ~ the organizational context, and one’s individual biography ~ people are often unaware of the thoughts and feelings that animate their behavior.

The course will introduce students to some basic concepts of psychoanalysis, which focus on individual motivation, and systems psychodynamics, which focuses on group dynamics and group psychology. Systems psychodynamics also emphasizes how an organization’s primary task, or its “reason for being,” influences individual experience. Readings include case studies as well as expositions of theory. The instructor will also draw on his own consulting cases.

Requirements

As part of their class work, students will write critical incidents describing their own experiences at work, as well as keep a dream book. Each student will also have the opportunity to participate as a subject in an organizational role analysis.

Grades will be based on class participation, critical-incident-writing submissions, and a final paper.

Readings

Readings will be from chapters within the following texts:

• The Workplace Within (Hirschhorn)
• Experiencing Organizations (Fineman and Gabriel)
• Coaching in Depth (Newton, et al.)
• The Unconscious at Work (Obholzer and Roberts)
• Motivating People (Zaleznik)
• The Psychodynamics of Organizations (Hirschhorn and Barnett)
• Decoding your Dreams (Langs)
• Melanie Klein and Critical Social Theory (Alford)
• The Adaptive Unconscious (Wilson)
• Learning for Leadership (Zaleznik)

3401 Walnut Street
Suite 328A
Philadelphia, PA 19104

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T: 215-898-6967
F: 215-898-8934

dynamics@sas.upenn.edu