That Unwanted Feeling: A Psychodynamic Study of Disappointment in Organizations

The experience of disappointment 'that it is, at the same time, seen as of little concern to individuals, and yet viewed as capable of undermining stability and destroying positive feelings. The paper shows how disappointment is connected to the dynamics of blame in organizations but, when fully appreciated, can offer a way of moving beyond these dynamics by recognizing partial failure within an organization and turning it into the basis for organizational learning.