Using psychodynamic theories in management training: understanding the experiences of managers attending a training event which includes psychodynamic theories

This study used Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to explore and record the experiences of people managers from four different organisations, following their participation in training workshops which included psychodynamic theories and ideas as applied to individuals and groups. This included the notion of the unconscious life of groups, and in particular, Bion’s theory of groups, the nature of unconscious defences and the tendency to take up certain roles within groups. The study enquired into the experience of people managers following their attendance at a workshop to explore group dynamics in the workplace; to understand their experience of participating in this activity and their resulting understanding of psychodynamic ideas and to provide them with the means to report and reflect on their experiences of the workshop via semi-structured interviews. The accounts of these experiences were analysed to determine what participants made of it and whether it made a difference to their work and working relationships. This thesis describes the design, implementation, analysis and findings of my research, and explores the relevant literature. It also offers recommendations for future work to develop products which will have multiple applications in both organisational and clinical settings. The outcomes of this study will be used to inform the development of training materials for both the corporate and psychotherapeutic arenas.