IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/hal/journl/hal-04815570.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Atmosphere of measurement, consumable tools and the affective life of neoliberalism

Author

Listed:
  • Élodie Allain

    (HEC Montréal - HEC Montréal)

  • Célia Lemaire

    (MAGELLAN - Laboratoire de Recherche Magellan - UJML - Université Jean Moulin - Lyon 3 - Université de Lyon - Institut d'Administration des Entreprises (IAE) - Lyon, ULaval - Université Laval [Québec], IUF - Institut universitaire de France - M.E.N.E.S.R. - Ministère de l'Education nationale, de l’Enseignement supérieur et de la Recherche)

  • Gulliver Lux

    (CREM - Centre de recherche en économie et management - UNICAEN - Université de Caen Normandie - NU - Normandie Université - UR - Université de Rennes - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

Abstract

This article examines the links between accounting tools, affects and neoliberalism. To explain how accounting tools participate in the affective life of neoliberalism, we conducted longitudinal qualitative research on the health and social care sector in Quebec and examined the links between accounting tools and affects in a context of a neoliberal reform. We use the concept of atmosphere -collective affects present in a given space- to address the collective and spatial dimensions of affects linked to accounting tools. Our study shows that the omnipresence of accounting tools in spaces nurtures the atmosphere of measurement presented here. In this atmosphere, tools are viewed as consumables that could be replaced by newer tools, whereas the idea of quantification, supported by feelings of hope, receives support and endures over time. Our paper calls for broader application of the concept of atmosphere to better understand the affective dimension of neoliberal society.

Suggested Citation

  • Élodie Allain & Célia Lemaire & Gulliver Lux, 2025. "Atmosphere of measurement, consumable tools and the affective life of neoliberalism," Post-Print hal-04815570, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:hal-04815570
    DOI: 10.1016/j.cpa.2024.102767
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-04815570v1
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://hal.science/hal-04815570v1/document
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.cpa.2024.102767?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Morales, Jérémy & Gendron, Yves & Guénin-Paracini, Henri, 2014. "State privatization and the unrelenting expansion of neoliberalism: The case of the Greek financial crisis," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 25(6), pages 423-445.
    2. Nathalie Repenning & Lukas Löhlein & Utz Schäffer, 2022. "Emotions in Accounting: A Review to Bridge the Paradigmatic Divide," European Accounting Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 31(1), pages 241-267, January.
    3. Joe Beswick & Joe Penny, 2018. "Demolishing the Present to Sell off the Future? The Emergence of ‘Financialized Municipal Entrepreneurialism’ in London," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 42(4), pages 612-632, July.
    4. Baxter, Jane & Carlsson-Wall, Martin & Chua, Wai Fong & Kraus, Kalle, 2019. "Accounting and passionate interests: The case of a Swedish football club," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 21-40.
    5. Kimberly Moreno & Thomas Kida & James F. Smith, 2002. "The Impact of Affective Reactions on Risky Decision Making in Accounting Contexts," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 40(5), pages 1331-1349, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Gilbert, Christine, 2021. "Debt, accounting, and the transformation of individuals into financially responsible neoliberal subjects," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    2. Islam, Muhammad Azizul & Deegan, Craig & Haque, Shamima, 2021. "Corporate human rights performance and moral power: A study of retail MNCs’ supply chains in Bangladesh," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    3. Spies-Butcher, Ben & Bryant, Gareth, 2024. "The history and future of the tax state: Possibilities for a new fiscal politics beyond neoliberalism," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
    4. De Silva, Muthu & Rossi, Federica & Yip, Nick K.T. & Rosli, Ainurul, 2021. "Does affective evaluation matter for the success of university-industry collaborations? A sentiment analysis of university-industry collaborative project reports," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 163(C).
    5. Lisa-Marie Wibbeke & Maik Lachmann, 2020. "Psychology in management accounting and control research: an overview of the recent literature," Journal of Management Control: Zeitschrift für Planung und Unternehmenssteuerung, Springer, vol. 31(3), pages 275-328, September.
    6. Hanna Hilbrandt & Monika Grubbauer, 2020. "Standards and SSOs in the contested widening and deepening of financial markets: The arrival of Green Municipal Bonds in Mexico City," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 52(7), pages 1415-1433, October.
    7. Hee Mok Park & Joseph Pancras, 2022. "Social and Spatiotemporal Impacts of Casino Jackpot Events," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 41(3), pages 575-592, May.
    8. Zhenfa Li & Fulong Wu & Fangzhu Zhang, 2023. "State de-financialisation through incorporating local government bonds in the budgetary process in China," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 23(5), pages 1169-1190.
    9. Jennifer Robinson & Katia Attuyer, 2021. "Extracting Value, London Style: Revisiting the Role of the State in Urban Development," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 45(2), pages 303-331, March.
    10. Antoine Guironnet, 2019. "Cities on the global real estate marketplace: urban development policy and the circulation of financial standards in two French localities," Post-Print halshs-02297204, HAL.
    11. Laura Deruytter & David Bassens, 2021. "The Extended Local State under Financialized Capitalism: Institutional Bricolage and the Use of Intermunicipal Companies to Manage Financial Pressure," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 45(2), pages 232-248, March.
    12. Ejiogu, Amanze & Ambituuni, Ambisisi & Ejiogu, Chibuzo, 2021. "Accounting for accounting’s role in the neoliberalization processes of social housing in England: A Bourdieusian perspective," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).
    13. Julia Heslop & Josh Chambers & James Maloney & George Spurgeon & Hannah Swainston & Hannah Woodall, 2023. "Re-contextualising purpose-built student accommodation in secondary cities: The role of planning policy, consultation and economic need during austerity," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 60(5), pages 923-940, April.
    14. Austin, Chelsea Rae & Bobek, Donna D. & Jackson, Scott, 2021. "Does prospect theory explain ethical decision making? Evidence from tax compliance," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
    15. Sara Brorström & Alexander Styhre, 2021. "Plans and situated actions in urban renewal projects: The role of governance devices in realizing projects," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 39(3), pages 646-663, May.
    16. Apostol, Oana & Pop, Alina, 2019. "‘Paying taxes is losing money’: A qualitative study on institutional logics in the tax consultancy field in Romania," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 1-23.
    17. Duxbury, Darren, 2012. "Sunk costs and sunk benefits: A re-examination of re-investment decisions," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 44(3), pages 144-156.
    18. Banerjee, Anup & Carlsson-Wall, Martin & Nordqvist, Mattias, 2024. "Hybrid board governance: Exploring the challenges in implementing social impact measurements," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 56(5).
    19. Fanning, Kirsten & David Piercey, M., 2014. "Internal auditors’ use of interpersonal likability, arguments, and accounting information in a corporate governance setting," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 39(8), pages 575-589.
    20. Donato Masciandaro & Ariela Caglio & Sébastien Laffitte & Gianmarco Ottaviano, 2022. "Has Financial Fair Play Changed European Football?," BAFFI CAREFIN Working Papers 22189, BAFFI CAREFIN, Centre for Applied Research on International Markets Banking Finance and Regulation, Universita' Bocconi, Milano, Italy.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:hal:journl:hal-04815570. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: CCSD (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.