Organizing disciplinary power in a knowledge organization

This article provides a systematic attempt to analyze the effects of performance appraisals, here conceptualized as tools for executing disciplinary power, and how the agency of employees is shaped. The article demonstrates how agency is enrolled by a broad set of disciplinary technologies aimed at behavior as well as the self, orchestrated in way that effectively short-circuits resistance. Drawing upon data collected from a Swedish subsidiary of a large American consultancy firm, the article provides a detailed account for the use of disciplinary technologies in knowledge-intensive work and other types of high-commitment work settings. Furthermore, the article pays specific attention to how punishments, rewards and human agency interact in this context.