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Toxicity and the Unconscious Experience of the Body at the Employee—Customer Interface

Mark Stein Imperial College London, UK, m.stein{at}imperial.ac.uk

While the literature on front-line service work utilizes a variety of productive images, I argue that these images do not capture certain of the more problematic experiences of front-line service employees. Drawing on words used by these workers themselves, and using concepts from psychoanalysis and its application to organizational dynamics, I therefore propose a new image, that of toxicity. I argue that — especially when under severe pressure from customers — front-line workers may have the unconscious fantasy that they have been polluted by toxic substances. The unconscious experience of the entry of toxic material is likely to result in further contagion of relationships such as those among employees and between employees and customers. This may also result in workers retaliating against customers by exacting revenge on them. A downward spiralling of relationships may follow, with the result that large parts of the work environment are experienced as toxic. The implications for theory are explored. In conclusion, I argue that the theme of toxicity helps us connect the employee—customer interface with a deep reservoir of primordial human experience that links the body with emotions.

Key Words: body • customer • employee • toxicity • unconscious

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