Covert impact of organisational transformation on employees within the financial services sector: systems psychodynamics perspective

Abstract

The “new normal” has become the order of the day in the business environment and personal space. Over the decades, factors such as digital transformation, globalisation, the legal framework and now the COVID-19 pandemic, to name but a few, have been shaping the organisations, particularly in the financial services sector. This has compelled more financial services providers to transformation at a precipitous rate (Carbó-Valverde, 2017), occasioning organisations to reengineer the organisational structure, operating models, processes, as well as human capacity, in order to remain relevant in the industry. The aim of this study was to explore and describe the unconscious impact of the organisational transformation (OT) phenomenon on employees in the financial services sectors using the systems psychodynamics perspective. The study was conducted under the hermeneutic phenomenology paradigm, employing purposive sampling technique to select participants who experienced the OT phenomena. To collect data, in-depth interviews were utilised and hermeneutic analysis was used to analyse data. The main findings indicated that employees experienced the organisation as persecutory, volatile and uncertain system as a result of the voluntary and involuntary nature of OT. Furthermore, the impact of OT on employees manifested itself as dehumanising and showed the uncaring nature of OT, gearing participants to awareness and learning as a means of survival to cope with the stresses of OT.

“Tlwaelo ye mpsha” e bile selo sa letšatši ka letšatši go tikologo ya dikgwebo le go sebakeng sa motho yo mongwe le yo mongwe. Mengwaga ye lesome yeo e fetilego, mabaka a go swana le phetogo ya titšithale, nyalelano ya ditiragalo tša lefase, foreimeweke ya semolao le gabjale leuba la Covid-19, go bolela ka tše mmalwa, di betlile sebopego sa mekgatlo, kudu lekaleng la matlotlo. Seo se gapeleditše bathuši ba ditirelo tše dintši tša matlotlo go phetogo ya lebelo la godimo (Carbó-Valverde, 2017), yeo e dirago gore mekgatlo e šušumetše leswa sebopego sa mokgatlo, dimotlolo tše di dirišwago, ditshepedišo, gape le bokgoni bja motho, gore go dule go swanetše intasetering. Maikemišetšo a nyakišišo e be e le go utolla le go hlaloša thulano ya ponagalo ya boitebalo ya phetogo ya mokgatlo (OT) go bašomi ka go makala a ditirelo tša matlotlo go šomišwa ponego ya ditsela tša saekhotaenamiki. Nyakišišo e sepedišitšwe ka tlase ga pharataemo ya hermeneutic phenomenology, go dirišwa thekeniki ya purposive sampling go kgetha batšeakarolo bao ba itemogetšego ponego ya OT. Go kgoboketša datha, dipoledišano tše di tseneletšego di šomišitšwe le tshekatsheko ya heremeneuthiki e šomišitšwe go sekaseka datha. Dipoelo tša motheo di tšweleditše gore bašomi ba itemogetše mokgatlo bjalo ka wa tlaišo, o phakišago le tsela yeo e belaetšago ka lebaka la tlholego ya OT ya boithaopo goba yeo esego ya boithaopo. Go feta fao, thulano ya OT go bašomi e iponagaditše bjalo ka yeo e nyenyefatšago ebile e bontšhitše tlhago ya go hloka tlhokomelo ga OT, e thušago batšeakarolo go maitemogelo le thuto bjalo ka mokgwa go phologo ya go katana le dikgatelelo tša OT.

Die “nuwe normaal” is aan die orde van die dag in die besigheidsomgewing en persoonlike ruimte. Oor die jare het digitale transformasie, globalisasie, die regskundige opset en tans die COVID-19 pandemie – om enkele faktore te noem – organisasies gevorm, veral dié in die finansiële dienssektor. Dit het meer finansiële diensverskaffers tot transformasie teen ʼn vinnige pas verplig (Carbó-Valverde, 2017) wat veroorsaak het dat organisasies die organisatoriese struktuur, bedryfsmodelle, prosesse, sowel as menslike kapasiteit moes herontwerp, ten einde relevant te bly binne die bedryf. Die doel van hierdie studie was om die onbedoelde impak van die transformasie- (OT) fenomeen op werknemers in die finansiële dienssektore te ondersoek en te beskryf met behulp van die psigodinamiese stelselperspektief. Die studie is volgens die hermeneutiese fenomenologie paradigma gedoen deur die doelbewuste steekproeftegniek te gebruik om deelnemers wat OT-fenomene ervaar het, te kies. Ten einde data te versamel, is diepgaande onderhoude gevoer en hermeneutiese ontleding is aangewend om data te ontleed. Die hoofbevindings het aangedui dat werknemers die organisasie as ʼn hinderlike, wisselvallige en onbetroubare stelsel ervaar het weens die vrywillige en gedwonge aard van OT. Vervolgens het die impak van OT op werknemers as ontmensliking gemanifesteer en die afsydige aard van OT getoon, deelnemers op bewustheid en kennis ingestel as ʼn manier van oorlewing om opgewasse teen die stres van OT te wees.