A systems psychodynamic framework for understanding and assessing organisational dynamics

Abstract Understanding organisational dynamics is essential for effective change interventions. Yet traditional diagnostic methods often struggle to illuminate the deeper, less visible forces that sustain dysfunctional patterns or resist transformation. Systems psychodynamic research has offered valuable insights into these unconscious dynamics, but lacks an integrated, systematic diagnostic framework. This paper proposes a novel conceptual approach that combines systems psychodynamic theory with structured principles drawn from clinical diagnostics: the Systematic Multidimensional Organisational Assessment (SyMOA). It is designed to enable a rigorous, multi-layered assessment of organisations along three key dimensions: the inner level of functioning, internal and external relational patterns and dynamics, and unconscious organisational conflicts. By systematically surfacing hidden power relations, reinforced assumptions, and covert emotional processes, SyMOA contributes to critical theory’s project of revealing and challenging entrenched barriers to change. At the same time, SyMOA embodies a metamodern sensibility by balancing structured, evidence-informed inquiry with openness to ambiguity, emergence, and paradox. It integrates modernist rigor with postmodern reflexivity, offering a framework that is both analytically robust and critically self-aware. In doing so, SyMOA aims to advance organisational diagnostic practice beyond superficial explanations, providing a structured basis for understanding and addressing the complex dynamics that hinder sustainable change. This article presents the conceptual architecture of the framework; its operationalisation and empirical validation are the subject of subsequent studies within the broader research programme.