Traversing the empty promise: management, subjectivity and the Other's desire
Abstract
Purpose
This paper seeks to explore the notion of desire in relation to subjectivity at work by drawing on the work of Jacques Lacan. It aims particularly to consider the possible ways in which desire is evoked and channeled in managerial practices that are aimed at managing the self.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper provides an illustration of this by a reading of how developmental HRM practices attempt to elicit and channel subjects' desire.
Findings
Particular images promulgated by these practices appeal to the subject in such a way, that it becomes caught in a relationship of fascination with them. These practices thereby attempt to create identification with a fantasmatic image of the self, and in so doing, to shape subjectivity in line with managerial objectives. It is also argued that a different modality of relating to desire can provide a way of avoiding the most detrimental effects associated with these practices, and I indicate possible ways in which this different modality or “traversal” may take shape.
Originality/value
The paper analyzes the use of desire in management practices.
Keywords
Citation
Hoedemaekers, C. (2009), "Traversing the empty promise: management, subjectivity and the Other's desire", Journal of Organizational Change Management, Vol. 22 No. 2, pp. 181-201. https://doi.org/10.1108/09534810910947208
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2009, Emerald Group Publishing Limited