Metatheorizing the dialectic of self and other - The psychodynamics in work organizations

Western thought is imbued with thinking based on dichotomy and binary oppos ition. Embedded in this thinking, however are not only oppositions but hier archy The existence of binaries suggests a struggle for predominance. One p roposition must prevail and the other must he vanquished. The fields of org anization behavior and administrative theory reflect this form of rationali ty The terms self and other have been cast as constituent elements of the h uman condition, but the presumption is that self must necessarily be privil eged more than other. The authors disagree that such a privileging must occ ur. Instead, they contend that self and other are mutually constituted. The central focus of this article is an exploration of the self-other relation ship that highlights its dialectic nature end, in so doing, provides a deep er appreciation of how these dynamics are manifested in work organizations as elements of trust ethics, and mourning.