Coercion and Consent in Automated Management

The ongoing debate surrounding the impact of automation on the workforce tends to focus on physical labour and repetitive tasks. However, it is noteworthy that the automation of managerial functions is also closely tied to the automation of jobs held by workers. This paper provides a review on workplace monitoring, focusing on its relationship with the ongoing process of datafication. By examining various techniques and technologies, the contribution specifically highlights the coexistence of coercion and consent as a characteristic feature of digital Taylorism. To inform the analysis, it suggests a cross-reading of two theoretical frameworks, namely Labour Process Theory (LPT) and surveillance studies. Thus, it argues that more consensual practices are now used to hide the coercive dimension of management by transferring it from human bosses to automated ones, rather than truly replacing it. Furthermore, the paper highlights how this shift is closely linked to the increased use of gamification, rankings, self-tracking attitudes and real-time monitoring, as well as to the growing precariousness that permeates both productive and reproductive spheres.