The politics of imagined stability: A psychodynamic understanding of change at Hyder plc

The aim of this article is to show how psychodynamic theory and its application can inform the management of change in organizations. The article outlines a psychodynamic framework for the management of change, emphasizing the interrelation between individual and collective emotional experience and power relations. The phrase a politics of imagined stability is used to describe the role that social and strategic politics play in the perpetuation of emotions and fantasies that have an impact on organizing. The framework involves understanding how the organization is imagined, experienced and maintained through the influence of social and strategic politics, as well as the resulting emotional and political relations within which attempts at change have to be managed. The conceptual framework is illustrated and developed through a case example from Hyder plc, formerly the largest private company in Wales, UK. The discussion and conclusion outline the articles contribution to knowledge concerning psychodynamic thinking and the management of change.