The Psychoanalysis of Career Choice, Job Performance, and Satisfaction

How to Flourish in the Workplace

Paul Marcus

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2017
• Print ISBN: 9781138211650
• eBook ISBN: 9781315452517
• Topic: Personal Development
• Subtopic: Organisational Behaviour

Freud said that "love and work" are the central therapeutic goals of psychoanalysis; the twin pillars for a sound mind and for living the "good life." While psychoanalysis has masterfully contributed to understanding the experience of love, it has only made a modest contribution to understanding the psychology of work. This book is the first to explore fully the psychoanalysis of work, analysing career choice, job performance and job satisfaction, with an eye toward helping people make wiser choices that bring out the best in themselves, their colleagues and their organization.

The book addresses the crucial questions concerning work: how does one choose the right career; what qualities contribute to excellence in performance; how best to implement and cope with organizational change; and what capacity and skills does one need to enjoy every day work?

Drawing on psychoanalytic thinking, vocational counseling, organizational psychology and business studies, The Psychoanalysis of Career Choice, Job Performance, and Satisfaction will be invaluable in clinical psychoanalytic work, as well as for mental health professionals, scholars, career counselors and psychologists looking for a deeper understanding of work-based issues.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Table of Contents
• 1 Introduction
• 2 Choosing the “right” career
• 3 Flourishing on the job
• 4 Psychopathology I: the individual
• 5 Psychopathology II: the organization
• 6 The crucial role of emotions in facilitating organizational change
• 7 When to call it quits: retirement
• References
• Index