Notions of subject and power in Foucauldian readings and their influence in organization and people management studies

Abstract

This article reflects on the notion of subject and power characterized by Foucault, considering the three intellectual phases and possibilities of the subject, as portrayed in studies on organizations and management. The research assumes that the ways in which Foucault characterized the subject in intellectual phases reflects the ways the organization manages the individual. In addition, this work highlights the potential of the Foucaultian approach regarding the analysis of subjects and the relations of power in the organizations. In the archaeological phase the proposal is to prioritize the study of organizational discourses. In the genealogy phase, the idea is to advance the analyses of the disciplinary power, relational power, and biopolitics. Finally, in ethics, we suggest the need to analyze the constitution of subjectivities in the work space.