Sigmund Freud, the founder of psychoanalysis, argued that subconscious feelings caused relationship conflicts; most controversially he espoused the Oedipus complex to explain tensions between children and their parents.
While commercial lawyers can safely duck study of the id, ego and superego elements of Freud’s personality theory, they could benefit from developing a higher degree of emotional and cultural awareness, a recent report advises.
Research for the International Chamber of Commerce, published at this month’s Paris Arbitration Week, suggests that lawyers need a better understanding of the “emotional journey” of the businesses they advise, as well as local values and practices to avoid cross-border disputes.
Contrary to some perceptions that business dealings are functional and rational, the study of more than 1,700 mid to senior-level managers
