New ways of working: From smart to shared power

Taskin, Laurent [UCL] Ajzen, Michel [UCL] Donis, Céline [UCL]

This chapter questions the relevance of the concept of smart power in organization studies and, specifically, in the study of new ways of working (NWOW) implementation. NWOW embrace a broad set of organizational practices, ranging from spatial and temporal flexibility to self-management. Beyond such set of (somehow traditional) work practices, the singularity of NWOW seems to lie in its governance epitome, valuing a peculiar philosophy of management, i.e. a more democratic way of managing organizations. Smart power approach could play a key role in the effective implementation of NWOW. However, drawing on existing studies, we report some paradoxes making NWOW a piece of what may be seen as old-fashioned management practices and organizational pattern that, far from constituting a promise for alternative modes of governance, also constitute new attempts to disciplinarize employees. Claiming organizational rules need to be appropriated by actors in order to become effective, this chapter argues a smart power perspective is not relevant at the micro-level, where traditional approaches of power and agency are more complete. While considering innovative NWOW, smart power approach seems well relevant to analyse meso regulations and, especially, governance issues.