Projection and Projective Identification in Organizational Context

We explored projection and projective identification in organization context, that appear in response to the anxiety, especiallly when there are many changes in organization. We had several tasks in this dissertation. In the theoretical part: 1. We explored theoretical aspects of phycological defense mechanism with the focus on projection and projective identification. 2. We explored unconscious processes in groups and organizations, that pop up in organizations in order to cope with the anxiety. 3. To study the main psychoanalytical concepts of phycological defenses in organizations 4. To explore the ways to manage anxiety in order to return the organization to the working group mode, make conclusions. In the practical part: 5. Describe case: historical background, organizational structure, significant recent changes that could lead to the anxiety increase in organization, difficulties that the company faces now. 6. Analyze context and some artefacts in the organization that the researcher sees, being within, analyze countertransference. 7. Analyze results of psychoanalytical study, used be researcher, such as Organizational role analyses, Balint Group. 8. Make conclusions based on case analyses and research, make connections between theory and the case study. In theoretical part we saw that abnormal anxiety in organization can be born in response to the big changes in internal or external context of organization. They are often connected to the role or the primary task itself. In order to cope with it, groups and organizations use defenses, especially projection and projective identification. Containment, based on functional structures and reflective space, is a prerequisite to return group to the working group mode. In practical part based on case we explored what consequences can be found in organization as response to anxiety. In group regression, projection and projective identification distort reality perception really a lot. Our research confirmed hypothesis that in case of big changes and lack of containment members of organization regress and use primitive defenses such as projection and projective identification.