The aim of the research group is to use theory and research to provide credibility to our interventions and services in general and create new ideas for instruments, programmes and research projects design. Our research relates to organisational development and transformation. We investigate in particular how high-performing leaders and teams function and how to develop them. Our general research areas are:
In deconstructing the dynamics of leadership in our research, we looks at the triangle of a person’s mental make-up consisting of emotion, cognition, and behaviour. Entering this inner realm allows to understand incomprehensible and dysfunctional behaviour. These subliminal processes are often neglected in other leadership study models but are important in understanding the basis of a person’s leadership style and how to change it. The psychodynamic-systemic orientation provides a holistic analysis of the 'inner theatre' of leaders as well as an exploration of follower-leader dynamics through exploring the underlying processes that governleaders' character and behaviour.
Our research on executive coaching explores the active ingredients and process of coaching. We examine how executive coaching enables clients to examine the unconscious assumptions that underpin their leadership styles and generally their behaviour and how to create tipping points that will lead to individual and organisational transformation. Exploring the internal worlds of individuals, team members and groups as a whole gives insight to unconscious processes and therefore provides a deeper analysis of what drives and fulfils a person and has impact on team dynamics that might manifest themselves as barriers to top performance and resistance to change.
Only through accepting and exploring the hidden undercurrents that affect human behaviour can we begin to understand organisational life in all its complexities and how to transform organisations into top performing best places to work. In our research, we explore how to create organisational cultures that lead to flourishing of the organisation not just in the sense of the triple bottom line but also in terms of the welfare of its employees and the community in which the business is situated within.
Our research team consists of Manfred Kets de Vries, Elisabeth Florent, Caroline Rook and Alicia Cheak.
