BE872-7-SP-CO:
Consulting to Organisations: Depth Psychology Approaches
2023/24
Essex Business School
Colchester Campus
Spring
Postgraduate: Level 7
Current
Monday 15 January 2024
Friday 22 March 2024
10
19 July 2023
Requisites for this module
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
This module provides an introduction to consultancy approaches, from a depth psychology perspective.
Participants will study approaches to observing organisational process, the role and stance of the consultant, models of organisational change, interpersonal dynamics in teams, approaches to relational data, a variety of consultancy models informed by psychodynamic perspectives and the process of negotiating, contracting and concluding consultancy assignments.
The aims of this module are:
- To equip participants with a critical understanding of the nature and design of consultancy engagements.
- To equip participants with a critical understanding of the nature and design of consultancy engagements.
- To develop participants understanding of a range of depth psychology models of organisational change processes.
- To encourage critical dialogue and debate on the consultancy process.
- To develop participants’ appreciation of the consultancy role and stance.
- To develop the employability of participants, through an increased repertoire of tools to engage with organisations.
- To equip students with a range of competencies with which to carry out professional consultancy engagements in the private and public sectors.
By the end of this module, students will be expected to be able to:
- Demonstrate a critical understanding of the nature of consultancy engagements.
- Apply this understanding in designing consultancy projects.
- Demonstrate a critical understanding of a range of depth psychology models of organisational change.
- Debate the respective merits of these models, in relation to a variety or organisational contexts.
- Engage in critical dialogue and debate on the consultancy process.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the elements of the consultancy role and stance.
- Apply the learning from this module, in role, as a consultant.
No additional information available.
This module will be delivered via:
- Six 3-hour seminars.
- Two bookending workshops.
These sessions are structured around the key themes of the module and include case studies and small group exercises.
Students are also encouraged to identify contexts in their own personal and/or professional roles in which themes from the module can be developed and applied.
-
Newton, R. (2019)
The management consultant: mastering the art of consultancy. Second edition. Harlow, England: Pearson Education Limited. Available at:
https://learning.oreilly.com/library/view/the-management-consultant/9781292282251/?sso_link=yes&sso_link_from=university-of-essex.
-
Ohlander, Ulrika et al (2019) ‘Fighter Pilots’ Teamwork: A Descriptive Study’,
Ergonomics, 62(7), pp. 880–890. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.1080/00140139.2019.1596319.
-
Armstrong, D. (2018) ‘Emotions in organizations: disturbance or intelligence?’, in C. Huffington et al. (eds)
Working Below the Surface. Routledge, pp. 11–27. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429485237-2.
-
Halton, W. (2019) ‘Some Unconscious Aspects of Organizational Life: Contributions from psychoanalysis’, in A. Obholzer and V.Z. Roberts (eds)
The unconscious at work?: a Tavistock approach to making sense of organizational life. New York, NY: Routledge, pp. 11–18. Available at:
https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781351104166-2/unconscious-aspects-organizational-life-william-halton?context=ubx&refId=c7938985-1540-494f-a955-5228ee2b0706.
-
Rioch, M. (1975) ‘The Work of Wilfred Bion on Groups’, in Group relations reader. Sausalito, Calif: GREX, pp. 21–35.
-
Hoyle, L. (2004) ‘From sycophant to saboteur-responses to organisational change’, in
Working below the surface: the emotional life of contemporary organizations. London: Karnac. Available at:
https://doi-org.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/10.4324/9780429485237.
-
Roberts, V.Z. (2019) ‘The Organization of Work’, in A. Obholzer and V.Z. Roberts (eds)
The Unconscious at Work. 2nd Edition. | New York?: Routledge, 2019. | Revised edition of The Unconscious at work, 1994.: Routledge, pp. 37–48. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.4324/9781351104166-5.
-
Obholzer, A. (1994) ‘Authority, Power and Leadership: contributions from group relations training’, in
The Unconscious at work: individual and organizational stress in the human services. London: Routledge. Available at:
http://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781351104166-6/authority-power-leadership-anton-obholzer.
-
David Armstrong (2010) ‘Meaning Found and Meaning Lost: On the Boundaries of a Psychoanalytic Study of Organisations’,
Organizational and Social Dynamics, 10, pp. 99–117. Available at:
https://pep-web-org.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/search/document/opus.010.0099a.
-
David Armstrong and Robert French (2005a)
Organization in the mind: psychoanalysis, group relations, and organizational consultancy?: occasional papers 1989-2003. London: Karnac. Available at:
http://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/9780429902840.
-
-
Haan, E. de and Burger, Y. (2014)
Coaching with colleagues: an action guide for one-to-one learning. Second edition, revised. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Available at:
https://link.springer.com/book/10.1057/9781137359209.
-
Newton, J., Long, S. and Sievers, B. (2006)
Coaching in depth: the organizational role analysis approach. London: Karnac. Available at:
http://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/9780429473029.
-
Diamond, M.A. (2008) ‘Telling Them What They Know: Organizational Change, Defensive Resistance, and the Unthought Known’,
The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 44(3), pp. 348–364. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.1177/0021886308317403.
-
-
Jones, P. and Lawrie, G. (1994) ‘Encouraging unplanning: how organisations can cope with uncertainty’, in What makes consultancy work: understanding the dynamics. London: South Bank University Press, pp. 66–75.
-
Miller, E. (1995) ‘Dialogue with the client system: use of the "working note” in organizational consultancy’,
Journal of Managerial Psychology, 10(6), pp. 27–30. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.1108/02683949510093858.
-
David Armstrong and Robert French (2005b)
Organization in the mind: psychoanalysis, group relations, and organizational consultancy?: occasional papers 1989-2003. London: Karnac. Available at:
http://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/9780429902840.
-
R. D. Hinshelwood and Wilhelm Skogstad (2000)
Observing organisations: anxiety, defence, and culture in health care. London: Routledge. Available at:
http://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/9780203135150.
-
Huffington, C. (2004)
Working below the surface: the emotional life of contemporary organizations. London: Karnac. Available at:
http://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/9780429485237.
-
Kets de Vries, M.F.R. (2011)
Reflections on groups and organizations: on the couch with Manfred Kets de Vries. Chichester: John Wiley. Available at:
https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/universityofessex-ebooks/detail.action?docID=822317.
-
Long, S. (ed.) (2013)
Socioanalytic methods: discovering the hidden in organisations and social systems. London: Karnac Books Ltd. Available at:
http://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/9780429480355.
-
Shaw, P. (2002b)
Changing conversations in organizations: a complexity approach to change. London: Routledge. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203402719.
-
Sievers, B. and International Society for the Psychoanalytic Study of Organizations (2009)
Psychoanalytic studies of organizations: contributions from the International Society for the Psychoanalytic Study of Organizations (ISPSO). London: Karnac Books. Available at:
https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=366973&site=ehost-live.
The above list is indicative of the essential reading for the course.
The library makes provision for all reading list items, with digital provision where possible, and these resources are shared between students.
Further reading can be obtained from this module's
reading list.
Assessment items, weightings and deadlines
| Coursework / exam |
Description |
Deadline |
Coursework weighting |
| Coursework |
2,500 word Individual Essay |
|
100% |
Additional coursework information
- Individual Essay - 2,500 words.
Exam format definitions
- Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
- In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary,
for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.
Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.
Overall assessment
Reassessment
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Mr Chris Tanner, email: chris.tanner@essex.ac.uk.
Mr Chris Tanner
ctanne@essex.ac.uk
No
No
No
Dr Lorenzo Todorow Di San Giorgio
University College London
Lecturer
Available via Moodle
Of 30 hours, 30 (100%) hours available to students:
0 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
0 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s), module, or event type.
Disclaimer: The University makes every effort to ensure that this information on its Module Directory is accurate and up-to-date. Exceptionally it can
be necessary to make changes, for example to programmes, modules, facilities or fees. Examples of such reasons might include a change of law or regulatory requirements,
industrial action, lack of demand, departure of key personnel, change in government policy, or withdrawal/reduction of funding. Changes to modules may for example consist
of variations to the content and method of delivery or assessment of modules and other services, to discontinue modules and other services and to merge or combine modules.
The University will endeavour to keep such changes to a minimum, and will also keep students informed appropriately by updating our programme specifications and module directory.
The full Procedures, Rules and Regulations of the University governing how it operates are set out in the Charter, Statutes and Ordinances and in the University Regulations, Policy and Procedures.