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Shana D. Lynn Hormann, PhD, is a 2007 graduate of the PhD Program in Leadership and Change at Antioch University.
Shana D. Lynn Hormann, Ph.D, M.S.W..
Dr. Hormann at her Dissertation Defense with Dissertation Committee
L-R : Dr. Jon Wergin, Committee Member ; Dr. Shana Hormann; Dr. Carolyn Kenny, Committee Chair; Dr. Laurien Alexandre, Committee Member
Not Shown : Dr. Richard Vedan, External Reader
Keywords
organizational trauma, pehnomenology, sexual assault, non-profit leadership, organization development, spirituality, secondary trauma
Document Type
Dissertation
Publication Date
2007
Abstract
While some organizations die when trauma erupts, others do not succumb. They live and even thrive. The purpose of this study was two-fold: 1. To learn from leaders their perspectives about key conditions that allow organizations to withstand and heal from organizational trauma; and, 2. To inform practice about building and strengthening these conditions in organizations. Participants were leaders who led their organizations during an organizational trauma or who came into programs after the trauma occurred to facilitate recovery. Nine executive directors for sexual assault programs participated in this hermeneutic phenomenological study, sharing their experiences and reflections. Two composite depictions were created that share the richness of the leaders’ lifeworlds, including rural and urban differences, the distinctions in the traumas they experienced, and their responses. Each composite was analyzed and interpreted using current conceptualizations of organizational trauma. Three themes emerged from the experiences shared by the leaders: spirituality, commitment to anti-sexual violence work, and community. Spirituality was named by participants as foundational, one of their strongest relationships and a core belief. Commitment to the work included feeling called to work with victims, a personal history of violence, and being part of the larger anti-sexual violence movement. Both internal and external communities were identified as important for support and for service delivery. A review of the literature revealed a gap between clinical research on secondary trauma that focuses on individuals and does not consider organizational trauma or a systemic approach to addressing trauma, and organizational development research, which is systemic in nature but does not address trauma, individual or organizational. Leaders in this study shared their experiences of secondary trauma and organizational trauma and expressed that at times the two were intertwined, affirming the need for interventions that bridge individuals and organizations. The author argues for a coherent theory of organizational trauma and suggests an approach for practitioners who work with traumatized systems. She also offers a model to assist practitioners visually represent and understand entry points for trauma and entry points for healing within a system.
Recommended Citation
Hormann, S. D. (2007). Organizational Trauma: A Phenomenological Study of Leaders in Traumatized Organizations. https://aura.antioch.edu/etds/184
OD Practitioner 2015, 47(1), 25-30
OD Practitioner 2002.pdf (145 kB)
OD Practitioner 2002 34(4), 37-42
traumatology2005_11_3postprint.pdf (223 kB)
Post Print Traumatology 2005 11(3) 159-169
Hormann CV 2015 (1).pdf (279 kB)
Hormann Curriculum Vitae 2015
Included in
Domestic and Intimate Partner Violence Commons, Leadership Studies Commons, Nonprofit Administration and Management Commons, Organizational Behavior and Theory Commons, Psychology Commons
Comments
Dr. Hormann is the Vice President for Student Affairs and Associate Academic Dean at Antioch University, Seattle. http://www.antiochseattle.edu/
She received her B.A. in Sociology and her Master’s in Social Work from the University of Washington, and her Ph.D. in Leadership and Change from Antioch University. Dr. Hormann provides leadership to student affairs at Antioch University Seattle and has her own consulting practice, Shana Hormann Consulting, http://organizationaltraumaandhealing.com/shana-hormann-consulting/. She has over 30 years’ experience providing consultation and training for non-profit organizations, tribal communities, and government agencies.
Shana is passionate about strengthening organizations and communities that have experienced trauma. She is a bridge builder and brings a calm and capable presence to conflicted and painful situations. Her co-authored book, Organizational Trauma and Healing, was published in 2013.
She has trained lawyers, judges, law enforcement officials, social service professionals, clergy and lay people, school personnel, and parents throughout the U.S. and Canada about organizational trauma, secondary trauma, and family violence. Her CD, “Peace on Earth,” contains creative visualizations for meditation and relaxation.
Contact: shanahormann@gmail.com
Selected Publications :
Vivian, P. & Hormann, S. (2013). Organizational Trauma and Healing. North Charleston: CreateSpace. [http://www.amazon.com/Organizational-Trauma-Healing-Patricia-Vivian/dp/1479188514]
Hormann, S., & Vivian, P. (2005). Toward an understanding of traumatized organizations and how to intervene in them. Traumatology: An International Journal, 11(3), 159-169.
Supplemental Information on Dr. Hormann attached Below:
*OD Practioner is a Green Publisher, allowing the scholar to retain the copyright and self-archive the article with full citation.
*Traumatology is a Green Publisher, allowing the scholar to retain the copyright and self-archive the pre or post-print of the article with full citation.
*Curriculum Vitae 2015