Contraindre et habiliter : la double dimension des outils de contrôle

The work of Michel Foucault highlighted how control mechanisms constrain people. The link between knowledge and power plays a major role in this dynamic. In this paper, we propose to enrich this work by linking it with Hatchuel?s theoretical developments. Hatchuel deepened reflection on this link developed by Michel Foucault. Indeed, knowledge has a double aspect : it constrains but, by its reflexive dimension, it also empowers employees. Knowledge may allow them to develop new self-defined behaviors. Based on those concepts, our research emphasizes that control tools have this double dimension of constraint and empowerment. The analysis of these dimensions appears as a particularly important key for analyzing the use of control tools. In this paper, we present two case studies highlighting those double dimensions of empowerment and constraint. The collected data were obtained from semi-structured interviews and documentary data. The first case study shows that a competencies control tool originally developed in empowerment logic can be used in a more constraining way. Conversely, the second case study shows that satisfaction survey, a tool initially rather constraint oriented can also empower employees. The discussion section stresses that the empirical results enrich the existing literature on the articulation of the dimension of constraint and empowerment in control tools.