Introduction

Modern business is, in fact, confronted with intensified competition environments, intense variability and growth of company’s organizational shape. Organizational culture and leadership hold an important role, which are the center points for the effective pursuit of the firm’s strategy objectives. They have impact on motivation, creativity, and productivity.

Psychoanalytic methods, originally developed to understand and manage unconscious processes in the setting of individual therapy, provide unique methods for studying and managing these aspects within organizations. They provide for revealing unconscious processes in interpersonal communication, identifying sources of conflict, and understanding how unconscious beliefs of leaders impact the team and corporate culture. These strategies are particularly pertinent when the world is going through a period of change, and adaptive, empathetic, and strategic leadership is particularly required. This article will examine the influence of psychoanalytic practice on organizational culture and leadership.

Main part. Psychoanalytic approach in management

Psychoanalysis, which was a method of clinical investigation of the human mind at the beginning of the 20th century, has found application in management practice. Scientists have begun to pay attention to unconscious psychological processes that affect interpersonal and group relationships in organizations. One of the earliest areas of psychoanalytic work within the framework of management paradigms was the study of group dynamics and the role of a leader in a group.

Key psychoanalytic concepts, namely Ego, SuperEgo, and Id, deeply define human behavior patterns in an organization (fig. 1).

Figure 1. The three-component model of the psyche [1]

The Ego as a rational, adaptive part of the psyche, manifests itself through the individual’s ability to respond to demands outside and balance inward desires with societal expectations. As it relates to management, it is manifested through the ability of leaders to make good decisions, communicate effectively, and resolve conflict. The Super-ego, grounded in moral values and social norms, plays out in personal and corporate ethics and affects decision-making and organizational culture. At the same time, the Id, unconscious needs and drives, may be manifested in the form of obscured motives, change resistance, or emotional reactions disregarded by mainstream management theory. Thus, these three levels of mental structure significantly impact the behavior of both employees and managers, constituting models of individual and collective interaction.

Psychoanalytic theory possesses unique methods for explaining worker conduct and guiding group dynamics. One may possibly make sense of unconscious motivation and emotional responses often outside the context of conscious awareness. It is especially relevant in intricate situations, like organizational change or conflict resolution, where people’s conduct is prone to being driven by interior experience [2]. Examination of unconscious drivers not only aids in a clearer understanding of causes of resistance to change but also in the design of strategies to build trust and increase employee engagement. The psychoanalytic process helps leaders realize their own unconscious biases, predispositions, and emotional reactions, which help them become better decision-makers and managers of teams. This is especially applicable to the case of today’s issues, which require high flexibility, emotional quotient, and stress management.

The psychoanalytic process is thus an essential contribution towards classical management approaches by reaching the inner workings of employee and group action, revealing hidden impediments, and giving strength to a lasting corporate culture. Given the organizational structure and dynamics and considering the actual increasing complexity of the contemporary business world, this approach allows the opening of new perspectives regarding management effectiveness.

Psychoanalysis and leadership

Psychoanalysis gives a peculiar sight to the approaches of leadership; it insists on underlining the unconscious aspects of behaviors and their impact on the managerial process. Being a real complex psychological-social phenomenon, it involves not just the rational conceptions of conduct but also how emotional, behavioral, and unconscious processes define the pattern of interaction a leader uses with his team.

Most variation of opinions in matters of influences on leaders throughout the process of self-reflection has been linked with psychoanalysis. Psychoanalysis believes that leaders owe it to themselves to recognize their unconscious attitudes, feelings, and drives which may have an influence on their decisions and behavior. For instance, a subconscious need for dominance or one completely in aversion to conflict would totally change a manager’s style and thus possibly create conflicts or reduce the effectiveness of interactions with a team. The psychoanalytic process helps the leader not only to observe such attitudes but also to manage them, which in turn enhances their emotional intelligence, their self-discipline, and reinforces the awareness of employees’ needs.

Empathy, the psychoanalytic ability to feel and know another human being’s inner state, must become the heart of leadership. Empathic leaders develop trusting and productive working relationships with employees, reduce levels of stress, and engage employees more successfully. Psychoanalysis stressed that empathy not only improves interpersonal relationships but also allows the leader to forecast and understand the unconscious reasons, concerns, and aspirations of staff, something crucial when confronted with organizational restructuring or solving conflicts.

Psychoanalytically-based typology of leadership distinguishes various types of leadership style on the basis of unconscious drivers and behavioral inclinations. This classification allows better understanding of the behavior of leaders as well as the formation of plans for the facilitation of their adaptation to various organizational environments (table 1).

Table 1

Leadership typology [3, 4]

In addition, scientific literature identifies leadership styles such as bureaucratic, situational, servant, innovative, toxic, ethical, and visionary; however, these theories often overlap with the primary types or are considered in the context of specific conditions and tasks.

In the author’s opinion, this typology demonstrate that each leadership style is shaped by unconscious factors, which can both contribute to success and create risks for the organization. Understanding the mechanisms allows for the conscious one of each approach’s strengths while minimizing potential negative effects. Such understanding promotes more flexible management, improves interaction within the team, and foster a resilient organizational environment capable of adapting to changes.

Examples from practice show that applying psychoanalysis in leadership yields significant results. Meta Platforms has been actively implementing psychoanalytic techniques with a view to enhancing the leadership skills of its top management. The programs were specifically structured to enhance developing self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and empathy as the core drivers of the management development program. From internal surveys, there was a 18% increase in worker satisfaction for leadership over one year [5].

Despite clear advantages, implementing psychoanalytic practice in management has some disadvantages. Firstly, some managers would oppose it because of a lack of experience in dealing with unconscious processes or because of cultural prejudices which do not recognize the importance of emotional intelligence. Secondly, implementation of these practices requires significant investments of time and financial means that may not be accessible for small businesses. Finally, the effectiveness of psychoanalytic interventions may be impeded in environments where high work intensity is the norm, and a culture of mindfulness is absent.

Hence, psychoanalytic practices have huge potential for leadership trait development, but their effective usage depends on cultural context sensitivity, organizational resources, and leaders’ openness to self-reflection. If properly carried out, they can be a very useful tool for creating a more productive, resilient, and inspiring workplace.

Organizational culture through the lens of psychoanalysis

Psychoanalysis gives the deep theoretical basement to understand the emergence and development of organizational culture. An organization, being one huge social system, forms a peculiar set of values, norms, and rituals that influence employee behavior and their perception of the work environment. An important part of all this is the role of the collective unconscious uniting individual unconscious processes of team members into one common symbolic structure. As Carl Gustav Jung expressed it, the collective unconscious becomes manifest in corporate myths, legends, and values that determine employees’ behavior and their relationship with the company, even though those may well be unconscious to them. This unconscious becomes manifested through symbols and rituals which give unity and identity.

Symbolism plays a central role in shaping corporate culture, acting as an intermediary between individual and collective perception. Symbols such as logos, slogans, or office architecture serve a unifying function, transmitting the values and goals of the organization [6]. Rituals are annual meetings, corporate celebrations, or other award ceremonies that not only enhance the commitment of employees but also serve as means of unconscious socialization, allowing new team members to fit into the preexisting culture. Psychologically, rituals have a stabilizing function, particularly in times of change and crisis since they offer predictability and safety.

The role of leadership within the process of transformation and maintenance of organizational culture, in conditions of analysis and resolution of internal conflicts, is decisive. Not only do leaders define the direction of cultural development, but they also act as moderators in overcoming collective tensions. The psychoanalytic approach enables leaders to understand the nature of conflicts, many of which could be driven by unconscious fears, rivalry, or resistance to change [7]. Building awareness of such factors and processing them through open discussions and the introduction of structured changes will create a «healthy» corporate environment.

It is a healthy corporate culture in which individual needs are balanced by the objectives of strategy and organization. Psychoanalytic analysis indicates toxic elements in the culture, which are suppression of initiative, high stress level, or distrust. This is achieved through working with unconscious processes, creating open communication, and implementing symbols and rituals that reinforce positive aspects of organizational identity.

One of the firms that were able to integrate psychoanalytic practices into their organizational culture is Airbnb. The company implemented programs to develop emotional intelligence, mindfulness, and improved communication. Manager and employee training incorporated elements of psychoanalysis, which allowed the team to adapt to new conditions, overcome unconscious barriers, and improve collaboration. These actions paid off: employee satisfaction with the work environment increased, turnover decreased, and innovation activity strengthened, in turn reinforcing the corporate culture and overall company dynamics. Airbnb’s experience demonstrates the effectiveness of psychoanalytic approaches to the creation of an efficient and sustainable work environment [8]. Thus, the psychoanalytic approach not only clarifies the processes of corporate culture creation but also creates conditions for its effective development and transformation.

Conclusion

The impact of psychoanalytic procedures on organizational culture and leadership reiterates their significance for guiding contemporary organizations. They enable identifying and working with unconscious processes often defining the patterns of interpersonal dynamics, leaderships, and other significant elements of corporate culture. The development of self-awareness and empathy in leaders, along with using tools for analysis of group dynamics and corporate conflict resolution, leads to a more adaptive, productive, and inspiring atmosphere. Psychoanalysis then becomes a major tool leading to the sustainability of organizations and to resolving the challenges of global transformations.

Although of tested efficacy, the implementation of psychoanalytic procedures is time-consuming, requires resources, and the willingness of leaders and workers to commit themselves to in-depth processes. That they can be effectively used in such companies demonstrates that not only can they contribute to managerial practice, but also be involved in a transformation of corporate culture, making it more adaptive, more supportive, and innovation focused. As the business world becomes more complex and dynamic, the use of psychoanalytic approaches helps organizations not only manage well but also lead the industry in creating a conflict-free and productive working environment.