scapegoating in organizations

I read a book recently by Arthur D. Colman "Up From Scapegoating", about scapegoating in organizations as a way of identifying where the real problems are. In effect; find the scapegoated areas of an organization, see what groups or individuals are pointing the finger, and that's where the problem is. It's basically about denial of those pointing the finger.

I'm absolutely fascinated by the Jungian idea of shadow, and exploring it as a path to wholeness, individually and organizationally. I also came across another explanation of leadership and organizations. One premise is that people come to organizations in an unconscious attempt to reunite with rejected parts of themselves in an attempt to experience transcendent wholeness. But then paradoxically they project their own shadow onto others and the organization itself in a convoluted attempt at mystical union, all the while feeling more and more disconnected.

Jung claimed that reclaiming one's own personal shadow was the key to wholeness. I think if an organization could own it's shadow components, there would be MASSIVE amounts of transformative power released. The computer environment has the power to enhance this because it creates an unmediated personality partly through the loss of paraverbal and other mediating cues, thus tending to expose shadow.

Most of society is still living in a childish illusion about it's less savory characteristics, and so there is denial and scapegoating in epidemic proportions in our organizations and in society in general. The dilemma for me is to learn about how this shows up in organizations and present it in a palatable way that doesn't scare the living bejeezuz out of people and organizations that are not accustomed to self-reflection.

Any thoughts, references, or other perspectives would be greatly appreciated. -Many thanks - Kevin smith "perise@glink.net.hk"

• Jung, Shadow, Archetypes, & MBTI by Christina Caro, 2/19/98