Organizational Cultures as Holding Environments

A Psychodynamic Look at Organizational Symbolism

Bibliographic Data

ID9890206
AuthorsWilliam Van Buskirk (La Salle University, 1900 W. Olney Avenue, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19141., corresponding author), Dennis Mcgrath (Community College of Philadelphia)
Year1999
Volume52
Issue6
Pages805-832
Publication date1999-06-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueHuman Relations (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0018-7267 • E-ISSN: 1741-282X
PublisherSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/001872679905200606
OpenAlexW2135026428
LanguageEN
Citations received6
References cited17

The traditional formulation of symbols as "bundles of meaning" has supported many fine-grained analyses of organizational culture. However, it tends to obscure deeper psychodynamic elements that are essential to shaping how culture forms, develops, and dies. This paper adapts the idea of "holding environment" from Winnicott, Kegan, and others to sketch the potential contribution of such a psychodynamic perspective. An illustrative case is presented to support the argument

Aesthetics · Argument (complex analysis · Epistemology · Meaning (existential · Organizational culture · Perspective (graphical · Political science · Psychoanalysis · Psychodynamic psychotherapy · Psychodynamics · Psychotherapist · Public relations · Sketch · Sociology · Artificial Intelligence · Computer Science · Job Satisfaction and Organizational Behavior · Management and Organizational Studies · Management Theory and Practice · Philosophy · Psychology

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