Sociological Approaches on Suffering at Work

Suffering at work has become a major social phenomena. This situation has many causes: high performance enhancement, urgency seen as an obligation, pressure for results, but also fear, & the soaring of 'the battle for places' (la lutte des places). The psychopathological consequences o...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International review of sociology 2008-11, Vol.18 (3), p.433-441
Main Author: de Gaulejac, Vincent
Format: Article
Language:fre
Subjects:
Harassment
Stress
Suffering
Violence
Work
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Summary:Suffering at work has become a major social phenomena. This situation has many causes: high performance enhancement, urgency seen as an obligation, pressure for results, but also fear, & the soaring of 'the battle for places' (la lutte des places). The psychopathological consequences of pressure at work are now well known: breakdowns, professional exhaustion, work addiction, burnout, harassment. Stress has become an ordinary tool for management. Employees cannot find a meaning to this context, nor can they identify the causes of their ill being or the reasons for the violence they endure. They confront an opaque & paradoxical power. Looking for solutions to the contradictions to which management has given rise without resolving, they become responsible for those difficulties & guilty of their own suffering. These are 'innocent violences' in so far as they are justified by an indisputable system of management. References. Adapted from the source document.
ISSN:0390-6701
DOI:10.1080/03906700802376495