Rôle de la reconnaissance dans la construction de l’identité au travail

La reconnaissance est un concept complexe, polymorphe et polysémique (Brun et Dugas, 2005 ; Ricœur, 2004). L'analyse de son contenu, de ses formes et de ses critères reste fragmentaire. La compréhension de la reconnaissance est d'autant plus importante que face au flou des repères individuels et collectifs, l'expérience de travail constitue un mode de mise à l'épreuve d'une identité mouvante, constamment remaniée par les marques de reconnaissance octroyées ou non. En effet, le travail demeure un lieu essentiel du lien social et de quête identitaire. La reconnaissance au travail constitue ainsi un levier important dans la construction et la confirmation de soi. En se référant à la psychodynamique du travail (Dejours, 1998), l'objectif de cet article est d'étudier le rôle de la reconnaissance dans la construction de l'identité professionnelle. Plus précisément, le travail est abordé selon deux perspectives : (1) comme un lieu de socialisation dans lequel la construction de soi est tributaire des interactions avec autrui (superviseurs, collègues, subordonnés et clients) ; (2) comme un instrument mobilisé dans le processus de validation des identités des acteurs. La mise en perspective du rapport entre la reconnaissance et l'identité au travail est basée sur une démarche qualitative interprétative. La méthodologie utilisée a consisté en des entretiens approfondis et compréhensifs auprès de onze salariés tunisiens. L'analyse de contenu du discours de ces salariés a permis de construire une grille de lecture des liens entre reconnaissance et identité au travail. Cette grille distingue entre le contenu et le processus de reconnaissance. En termes de contenu, la reconnaissance est caractérisée par sa bidimensionnalité combinant une reconnaissance de conformité avec une reconnaissance de distinction. En termes de processus, la reconnaissance au travail suppose un mouvement à différents niveaux : identification, attestation de valeur et récompense. À partir de cette grille, la gestion de la reconnaissance au travail est abordée en termes des limites actuelles des pratiques managériales des ressources humaines. SUMMARY : The Role of Recognition in the Construction of Identity at Work Although there is an increasing interest of human resource managers on the theme of recognition, the effects of an assumed lack of recognition remain confined to a strictly psychological and individual level. The accumulation of individual experiences related to the lack of recognition may generate, at the collective level, counterproductive behaviors that, therefore, have an effect on organizational efficiency. In this way, a number of questions remain unanswered in the field of recognition in the workplace. What does recognition mean? What do we recognize or what would we like to see recognized? Recognition understood as consideration comes close to recognition understood as reputation; recognition sometimes deals with accomplishments or efficiency or even group belonging. The aim of this paper is to firmly establish the study of recognition in the process of identity construction at work. Even though work—inside more and more complex and flexible organizations—has lost its centrality in the life of individuals, it remains both a place and a factor for identity development. Thus, multiple signs of recognition may contribute to reinforce and stabilize the identity at work. Since it is an ongoing process, identity is shaped and reshaped by continuous interactions with others. Do experiences at work, in interactional situations, constitute a way of testing a shifting identity, constantly being reshaped by signs of recognition, granted or not? Work is an important place in the construction and confirmation of self. The objective of this paper is to identify and analyze the role of recognition at work in the process of identity construction. More specifically, work is approached using two perspectives: (1) as a place of socialization in which constructing self depends on interactions with others (supervisors, colleagues, subordinates, and customers); (2) as a tool that is mobilized in the process of validating the identities of the actors. Utilizing a qualitative design, based on comprehensive in-depth interviews, we asked Tunisian workers about their experiences of recognition at work. A qualitative approach is particularly useful in that it does not impose a content of recognition; rather, it allows respondents to describe recognition forms and criteria in their own terms. Our results were used to develop a framework that details the role of recognition at work in the process of constructing professional identity. This framework distinguishes between the contents and the processes of recognition. In terms of contents, recognition is characterized by its bi-dimensionality going from conformity recognition to recognition of distinction. As a process, recognition at work supposes movement at different levels: identification, certificate of value, and reward. A major contribution of this study is to integrate works on recognition and identity at work. Finally, practical implications to help human resource professionals to better understand and manage recognition practices are discussed

How Do Employees Perceive Corporate Responsibility? Development and Validation of a Multidimensional Corporate Stakeholder Responsibility Scale

Recent research on the microfoundations of corporate social responsibility (CSR) has highlighted the need for improved measures to evaluate how stakeholders perceive and subsequently react to CSR initiatives. Drawing on stakeholder theory and data from five samples of employees (N = 3,772), the authors develop and validate a new measure of corporate stakeholder responsibility (CStR), which refers to an organization’s context-specific actions and policies designed to enhance the welfare of various stakeholder groups by accounting for the triple bottom line of economic, social, and environmental performance; it is conceptualized as a superordinate, multidimensional construct. Results from exploratory factor analyses, first- and second-order confirmatory factor analyses, and structural equation modeling provide strong evidence of the convergent, discriminant, incremental, and criterion-related validities of the proposed CStR scale. Two-wave longitudinal studies further extend prior theory by demonstrating that the higher-order CStR construct relates positively and directly to organizational pride and perceived organizational support, as well as positively and indirectly to organizational identification, job satisfaction, and affective commitment, beyond the contribution of overall organizational justice, ethical climate, and prior measures of perceived CSR

CSR and the Politicization of Multinational Corporations: A Foucauldian Governmentality Framework

International audienceThis paper scrutinizes an emerging political conception of CSR, and its power dynamics. By exploring CSR programs, this paper analyzes new micro-powers and their instrumentation by knowledge on CSR. We ground and contextualize these mechanisms by relying on a case study (75 interviews) of Shell Tunisia. First, this study identified different conditions associated with the politicization of Shell Tunisia. Second, the study highlighted that economic motives determined Shell Tunisia's social welfare initiatives, normally provided by the Tunisian State. Finally, this study revealed that the politicization of Shell Tunisia constituted a new regime of governmentality of the business and society relationshi

L'influence de la personnalité proactive sur la performance adaptative : le rôle du sentiment d'auto-efficacité et de la justice organisationnelle perçue

The influence of proactive personality on adaptive performance : the role of self-efficacy and organizational justice The aim of this study is to explore the influence of proactive personality on adaptive performance. The results of the study among a sample of 232 employees show that proactive personality significantly influences the adaptive performance. According to the distinction between distal and proximal antecedents of performance, this study shows that self-efficacy partially mediates this relationship. In addition, organizational justice represents a moderating contextual variable which would strengthen the relationship between proactive personality and self-efficacy. The relevance of an interactionist approach that combines individual differences and contextual variables to better understand adaptive performance is discussed in conclusion

Les fondements micro-psychologiques de la Responsabilité Sociale de l’Entreprise

International audienc

La responsabilité sociale de l’entreprise sous l’éclairage des critical management studies:vers un nouveau cadre d’analyse de la relation entreprise-société

(VF)Les études sur la RSE sont dominées par une analyse descriptive des fondements éthiques de l’activité organisationnelle et par des recherches empiriques sur le lien entre performance sociale et performance financière de l’entreprise. L’objectif de cet article est de présenter l’apport des Critical Management Studies (CMS) comme un cadre d’analyse qui permet d’enrichir le débat sur la RSE. Trois approches d’analyse critique de la RSE sont discutées. L’intérêt de l’approche foucaldienne pour une relecture de la RSE comme processus de savoir-pouvoir et pour une compréhension approfondie des effets de pouvoir des discours et des pratiques de la RSE est souligné. (VA)Research on CSR is generally based on a description of the ethical bases of organisational actions. Empirical studies are focused on the link between the company’s social performance and financial performance, reflecting an instrumental conception of CSR. The objective of this paper is to present the contribution of Critical Management Studies (CMS) as a new framework which makes it possible to enrich the debate on CSR. We emphasize the interest of the Foucaldian approach for an understanding of CSR as a process of power-knowledge and for a thorough comprehension of power effects of CSR discourses and practices.responsabilité sociale de l’entreprise;critical management studies;approche foucaldienne du savoir-pouvoir;corporate social responsibility;Foucaldian approach of power-knowledge.