W. Bion was an English psychiatrist and psychoanalyst. He developed researches about group formation, group phenomena and other issues. He started his work with the British army and then continued his studies observing groups composed by people from different segments of society in the Tavistock Institute. Some of Bion's ideas and concepts became relevant for the comprehension of work groups and their subliminal emotional phenomena. His works influenced the next generation of authors, as Dr. Maria Tereza Leme Fleury and associates showed it. This paper analyses critically Bion's contributions for group dynamics and indicates his influence in some authors from sociotechnics, work psychology and management.
Industrial psychology; Group dynamics; Organizations