Classic textbook - with lots of interest despite its age - using a psychodynamic viewpoint. For Organisational Behaviour, Personnel & Management. The postindustrial age has brought with it a new work environment, complete with new forms of organization and patterns of behavior. It has also created new anxieties for workers and for organizations. In this revealing study Larry Hirschhorn looks at the social defenses that organizations develop to cope with change. Using extended case studies and examples from offices, factories, and social services, he describes why these defenses exists, how they operate, and how they can be reshaped to enhance people's work experience.