Authority, Responsibility and Social Identity in Organizational Life: Connection and Disconnection

This event is co-sponsored by Teachers College, Columbia University & The Tavistock Institute of Human Relations

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Every group relations conference is a temporary institution containing elements from the tradition as well as elements that are new and a function of the people, both staff and members, who enter it, engage with it, shape it, and learn inside of it. 

The explicit invitation for this conference is that we, staff and members, bring our collective capacity into the moment to study connection and disconnection as it emerges in our work. In what ways are we connecting and disconnecting across levels of authority as well as with our own authority? In what ways are we connecting and disconnecting with those from other social and organizational identity groups, as well as with our own identities? In what ways are we attending to the unconscious or covert dynamics of connection and disconnection, and how is all of this shaping the institution?

What is the nature of the boundaries that exist between and around us and what can we learn from their permeability, impermeability, and texture?

We are, none of us, individual actors in organizations. So as we take up the task of studying Authority, Responsibility, and Social Identity: Connection and Disconnection, how do we see these dynamics shaping how we show up as individuals, as groups and as a temporary institution?

The membership and staff of this temporary institution are invited to approach the work with a willingness to repeatedly ask ourselves – how am I and how do I observe others contributing to the connection and disconnection in this institution and to what end?

A brief history of thisGroup Relations Conference

The Tavistock Model of Group Relations, developed in London, England in the 1950s is the model upon which this conference is based. In 1965, Margaret Rioch and A. Kenneth Rice, for whom the A.K. Rice Institute is named, imported the model to the United States. This time-honored method of studying unconscious dynamics in groups has been the basis of conferences held in France, Italy, Israel, China, Argentina, India, and many other countries around the world. In this work, staff and members are asked, within their roles, to explore the conscious and unconscious dynamics of the conference, also known as a ‘temporary organization.’

We do this by studying our own behavior in the various events, and using as tools, both intellect and emotion, without neglecting one for the other. In an event that purposefully studies authority, it is especially important to address issues of authorization.

The Social-Organizational Psychology Program of Teachers College, Columbia University, in partnership with the Tavistock Institute of Human Relations, authorizes this conference. However, there are many other levels of authorization supporting this enterprise. We will identify and study these as a part of our work together.

Who can attend?

This conference is available to students of Teachers College, Columbia University, and affiliated schools as well as others from the public seeking to learn about group dynamics and organizational processes.

Find out more

To secure your place in the conference membership, you will need to complete the online registration and submit payment by 5:00 pm ET, Monday, July 13, 2026. (No refunds are issued after July 13, 2026.)

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Standard rate – $450, Not-for-profit rate – $400, Student rate – $350

Please direct any questions to the Conference Administrative Team at teacherscollegeGRC@gmail.com

Conference Director: Flora N. Taylor, Ph.D.

Director of Administration: Sasha Wells, M.A.