A Psychoanalytic Perspective on Collective Layoffs due to the International Companies' Withdrawal from the Russian Market

The Master's thesis is dedicated to studying the psychodynamics of mass layoffs in the context of international business exodus from Russia. The work is highly relevant: the phenomenon of mass layoffs due to the consolidated departure of the majority of players is unprecedented in modern history, however psychoanalytic research on this topic in the public scientific and professional field has not yet been presented yet. In the theoretical part of the work, the authors examine both individual and organizational psychodynamics of experiencing mass layoffs: they analyze various ways of experiencing loss through the lens of major psychoanalytic theories, explore the organizational unconscious dynamics of mass layoffs in the context of an oedipal situation, consider the clinical paradigm of organizational changes in the conceptualization of M. Kets de Vries and K. Balazs, and D.W. Winnicott's transitional space concept. In the empirical part of the work, a qualitative study of the experiences of mass layoffs by former employees is conducted. The authors analyze the material of in-depth interviews with six research participants, linking the specificity of respondents' experiences with the current situation to their individual experiences and coping mechanisms, identifying common trends, and drawing parallels with the studied theory. As a result of the research, a unique component of loss in the situation of mass layoffs was identified and analyzed, related to the parental object loss of love — "organizational betrayal." Based on the conducted research and the hypothesis of "organizational betrayal," the authors offer their recommendations for psychoanalytically oriented coaching work with clients who have experienced traumatic mass layoffs. The work provides practical value and can be useful for a wider professional audience: practitioners of other approaches, HR specialists, business consultants, and company executives.