ABSTRACT
The subject of denied coalitions, which has been largely ignored in the study of organizations, is well known to family therapists. The first to look into the matter—as a relational method characteristic of pathological systems—was J. Haley. He considers it a fundamental element of perverse triangles, defined as follows:
The people in the triangle are not peers; instead, one of them is of a different generation, a different order in the power hierarchy, such as parent and child, or manager and employee.
The person of one generation forms a coalition with the person of the other generation against his peer. By “coalition” is meant a joint action against the third person (in contrast to an alliance, in which two people share a common interest, independent of a third person).
Though there is certain behavior indicating a coalition, if it is queried, the coalition will be denied. 1
