The influence of the unconscious on partner dynamics in a downturn. A systems psychodynamic interpretation of group behaviour among the UK partners of a global consulting firm, observed June 2018 - December 2019.

The thesis reports on an extended period of ethnographic field work. The research strategy involved observing and recording Partner interactions and participating in the daily life of the UK office over an eighteen month period. The research found management consulting to be an emotionally charged occupation. Psychological demands on the Partner role were found to exceed the resources at their disposal, resulting in high anxiety which, though it could have been worked through, was routinely avoided and denied. Unconsciously, Partners sought safety in the collective repression of emotions - a ‘flight’ response to perceived danger. In the UK office, collective defence mechanisms were institutionalised and defensive ways of organising taken for granted. Enacting and continually reconstituting group defences unconsciously conferred a sense of belonging on group members. The research looked at the implications of unconscious defences against anxiety for staff wellbeing and organisational performance, concluding a) that fearful and defensive patterns of behaviour represented a self-imposed limit to growth; b) that a period of scarcity amplified anxiety in the Partner group and magnified divisions affecting the quality of their leadership but that c) safe and systematic engagement with what was avoided, despite it being uncomfortable and requiring development, offered the potential to revitalise the firm.