Psychodynamic Coaching in Multinational Companies–An Interdisciplinary Case Analysis

Economic reasoning may be able to describe precisely what the outcome should be regarding efficiency and augmenting shareholder value, but falls short to understand why the outcome frequently turns out to be so different from what is expected. From a psychoanalytical perspective multinational companies are also influenced by the uniquely personal unconscious instincts and drives of their employees. To demonstrate this position this paper presents an interdisciplinary case study of an authentic coaching, carried out by one of the author's and complemented by an organizational analysis. It can be shown how the coordination mechanism of multinational companies complement and contrast the consulting issues of the client, a middle manager of the company in question. The case analysis shows that organizational structures are installed to prevent unconscious fantasies from becoming conscious. Paradoxically, this process undermines the organizational structure, for the split-off material affects the company unpredictably.