“I Am My Body”. Physical Selves of Police Officers in a Changing Institution

International audienceMost studies on identity work have overlooked the corporeal quality of occupational life. Despite calls to attempt such engagement, little is known about the role of the body in occupations for which corporeal elements are central in the affirmation of identity. This study aims to answer such calls by providing a detailed ethnography of police work. Focusing on four bodily practices, we demonstrate how fitness, intimidation, cleanliness, and toughness are central elements to the officers’ construction of self. We thereby highlight the notion of physical selfhood as a way to understand the body/identity nexus among police officers and their capacity to resist new work requirements. We view bodies through a lens of resistance, rather than docility and compliance as much previous research has done. We aim to contribute to scholarship on identity work by portraying the politicization of bodies as a powerful component, thereby helping professionals to deflect some important institutional pressures affecting their work.<br/

'I am my body'. Physical selves of police officers in a changing institution

Most studies on identity work have overlooked the corporeal quality of occupational life. Despite calls to attempt such engagement, little is known about the role of the body in occupations for which corporeal elements are central in the affirmation of identity. This study aims to answer such calls by providing a detailed ethnography of police work. Focusing on four bodily practices, we demonstrate how fitness, intimidation, cleanliness, and toughness are central elements to the officers’ construction of self. We thereby highlight the notion of physical selfhood as a way to understand the body/identity nexus among police officers and their capacity to resist new work requirements. We view bodies through a lens of resistance, rather than docility and compliance as much previous research has done. We aim to contribute to scholarship on identity work by portraying the politicization of bodies as a powerful component, thereby helping professionals to deflect some important institutional pressures affecting their work

“I Am My Body”. Physical Selves of Police Officers in a Changing Institution

International audienceMost studies on identity work have overlooked the corporeal quality of occupational life. Despite calls to attempt such engagement, little is known about the role of the body in occupations for which corporeal elements are central in the affirmation of identity. This study aims to answer such calls by providing a detailed ethnography of police work. Focusing on four bodily practices, we demonstrate how fitness, intimidation, cleanliness, and toughness are central elements to the officers’ construction of self. We thereby highlight the notion of physical selfhood as a way to understand the body/identity nexus among police officers and their capacity to resist new work requirements. We view bodies through a lens of resistance, rather than docility and compliance as much previous research has done. We aim to contribute to scholarship on identity work by portraying the politicization of bodies as a powerful component, thereby helping professionals to deflect some important institutional pressures affecting their work.<br/

La compétence collective dans le contexte global : retrouver le lien avec la performance

International audienc

La compétence collective dans le contexte de la globalisation du management : retrouver le lien avec la performance

Ingénierie concourante, projets collaboratifs, communautés de pratiques, management 2.0… Les vingt dernières années ont vu se multiplier, dans les pratiques et recherches managériales, les recommandations et les exigences en faveur d’une pratique plus collective du travail et de la performance, tandis que le modèle de performance individuelle, encore dominant dans de nombreuses organisations, est de plus en plus l’objet de critiques.Dans la recherche francophone en gestion, un concept est utilisé depuis de nombreuses années pour donner du sens à ces exigences et en éclairer la concrétisation : celui de compétence collective. Or, malgré son développement dans de nombreuses recherches, notamment françaises et québécoises, ce concept semble trouver peu d’écho à l’extérieur des cercles académiques francophones : non seulement on ne le retrouve que très peu dans la recherche anglo-saxonne, mais en outre il semble non repris ni instrumenté par les dirigeants, les directions de ressources humaines ou les cabinets de conseil. Comment comprendre cette absence de perspective pour un concept apparemment prometteur ?L’objet de cet article est de mener examen plus attentif des choses pour mettre à jour les véritables perspectives de ce concept, tant dans d’autres cercles académiques que du côté de la pratique. Le concept de compétence collective est loin d’être aussi singulier ou isolé qu’il n’y paraît : on le retrouve, sous d’autres appellations, dans de nombreuses pratiques managériales ainsi que dans des travaux anglophones, tandis qu’en ce début du XXIème siècle certaines organisations nous interpellent sur la possibilité de développer encore davantage sa mise en pratique