On the use of psychoanalytic concepts in organizational social science

There is growing interest in the relevance of psychoanalytic concepts to our understanding of and work with organizations. A non-analyst here describes how some of these concepts have become part of the equipment of a social scientist — notably splitting, transference and counter-transference, the use of the self and transitional dynamics. Conversely, there is a need for psychoanalysts who work with organizations to take on board some elements of organizational social science: the role of evidence, the distinction between the individual and the collective, and the relevance of context.