Home > Research > Publications & Outputs > When ‘I’ becomes ‘we’

Links

Text available via DOI:

View graph of relations

When ‘I’ becomes ‘we’: An ethnographic study of power and responsibility in a large food retail cooperative

Research output: Contribution to Journal/MagazineJournal articlepeer-review

Published

Standard

When ‘I’ becomes ‘we’: An ethnographic study of power and responsibility in a large food retail cooperative. / Huber, G.; Knights, D.
In: Human Relations, Vol. 76, No. 8, 01.08.2023, p. 1137-1161.

Research output: Contribution to Journal/MagazineJournal articlepeer-review

Harvard

APA

Vancouver

Huber G, Knights D. When ‘I’ becomes ‘we’: An ethnographic study of power and responsibility in a large food retail cooperative. Human Relations. 2023 Aug 1;76(8):1137-1161. Epub 2022 May 3. doi: 10.1177/00187267221085445

Author

Bibtex

@article{5f22c71b140f45f5a695bfb0714a1394,
title = "When {\textquoteleft}I{\textquoteright} becomes {\textquoteleft}we{\textquoteright}: An ethnographic study of power and responsibility in a large food retail cooperative",
abstract = "Based on ethnographic research of a large food retail cooperative in New York (the Co-op), this article raises the research question of whether organizations can cultivate an ethic of responsibility to others and, if so, how this can be secured in everyday working practices? It draws principally on the work of Foucault and especially his later writings on the care of the self and ethics but seeks to link these deliberations to Levinas in identifying responsibility to the Other as prior to identity. Indeed, one message that we seek to convey is that attachments to identities are frequently a stumbling block for developing ethically responsible relations and organizations and this may necessitate some normative control. While recognizing that normative control can easily become oppressive and there were occasional signs of this where staff were watching one another and demanding compliance, our research provides a platform for exploring conversations about alternative forms of organization. We explore how relations of power can produce ethically progressive relations, through generative norms that give space to, and nurture, care and responsibility for others to constitute morally engaging organizational life. ",
keywords = "Care and responsibility, cooperation, ethics, Foucault, identity, Levinas, power",
author = "G. Huber and D. Knights",
year = "2023",
month = aug,
day = "1",
doi = "10.1177/00187267221085445",
language = "English",
volume = "76",
pages = "1137--1161",
journal = "Human Relations",
issn = "0018-7267",
publisher = "SAGE Publications Ltd",
number = "8",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - When ‘I’ becomes ‘we’

T2 - An ethnographic study of power and responsibility in a large food retail cooperative

AU - Huber, G.

AU - Knights, D.

PY - 2023/8/1

Y1 - 2023/8/1

N2 - Based on ethnographic research of a large food retail cooperative in New York (the Co-op), this article raises the research question of whether organizations can cultivate an ethic of responsibility to others and, if so, how this can be secured in everyday working practices? It draws principally on the work of Foucault and especially his later writings on the care of the self and ethics but seeks to link these deliberations to Levinas in identifying responsibility to the Other as prior to identity. Indeed, one message that we seek to convey is that attachments to identities are frequently a stumbling block for developing ethically responsible relations and organizations and this may necessitate some normative control. While recognizing that normative control can easily become oppressive and there were occasional signs of this where staff were watching one another and demanding compliance, our research provides a platform for exploring conversations about alternative forms of organization. We explore how relations of power can produce ethically progressive relations, through generative norms that give space to, and nurture, care and responsibility for others to constitute morally engaging organizational life.

AB - Based on ethnographic research of a large food retail cooperative in New York (the Co-op), this article raises the research question of whether organizations can cultivate an ethic of responsibility to others and, if so, how this can be secured in everyday working practices? It draws principally on the work of Foucault and especially his later writings on the care of the self and ethics but seeks to link these deliberations to Levinas in identifying responsibility to the Other as prior to identity. Indeed, one message that we seek to convey is that attachments to identities are frequently a stumbling block for developing ethically responsible relations and organizations and this may necessitate some normative control. While recognizing that normative control can easily become oppressive and there were occasional signs of this where staff were watching one another and demanding compliance, our research provides a platform for exploring conversations about alternative forms of organization. We explore how relations of power can produce ethically progressive relations, through generative norms that give space to, and nurture, care and responsibility for others to constitute morally engaging organizational life.

KW - Care and responsibility

KW - cooperation

KW - ethics

KW - Foucault

KW - identity

KW - Levinas

KW - power

U2 - 10.1177/00187267221085445

DO - 10.1177/00187267221085445

M3 - Journal article

VL - 76

SP - 1137

EP - 1161

JO - Human Relations

JF - Human Relations

SN - 0018-7267

IS - 8

ER -