Panopticism in the Business World

English 10/6/14 Panopticism in the Business World The concepts of Panopticism are all around us. While in today’s world they are generally invisible, these concepts shape, mold and structure our lives in important ways every day. Though silent, the panoticon concepts instill in us a conduct code: a way to act. In the modern business world these concepts spring to life every working moment. They extend beyond the physical workplace and into ones business and personal technology and social media. Regardless from where a person works from or travels to, one is always subject to surveillance by someone in the corporation. The possibility of this surveillance affects everyone's individual actions and reactions. Examining Foucault's Panopticism in the business world proves the behavior of individuals is guided and managed in a very real way. The three most critical concepts of Panopticism as applied to the business world are knowledge is power, sovereignty and individual rights, guided behavior and productivity. A review of these concepts reveals that Panopticism in the Business World helps companies create an effective and efficient work environment. Foucault believed that knowledge is always a form of power. His view was that through observation, new knowledge is produced. He wrote, “Thanks to its mechanisms of observation, it gains in efficiency and in the ability to penetrate into men's behaviour; knowledge follows the advances of power, discovering new objects of knowledge over all the surfaces on which power is exercised” In today’s business world companies increasingly have ways to obtain knowledge of what their employees are doing, how quickly they are doing it and how effective they are. This gives companies the people in charge of the company the information they need to manage the company and make decisions. With this knowledge they can exert greater control over the company and the actions of individuals. With the knowledge they gain from being able to observe employees they have increased power to guide the company. This is exactly what is necessary for the people who run these companies to make assessments and choices that increase their chance for success. The American way of life is built around the notion of individual liberty and human rights. These ideas are sometimes used to attack anything that appears to infringe upon our freedom. According to Foucault, Panopticism is a mechanism of power through which individuals are controlled in such a way that they will conform to the system. He stated, “In a word, the disciplines are the ensemble of minute technical inventions that made it possible to increase the useful size of multiplicities by decreasing the inconveniences of the power which, in order to make them useful, must control them”. Foucault’s view was that the more ways individuals could be observed combined with consistently applied discipline guideline, the less need there would be for the forces of power to exert itself. In a corporation, it is essential that polices and procedures be followed. This leads to efficiency and protects the reputation of the company. If these company regulations can be followed because employees know they are being observed two things are likely to follow. First, employees will be less likely to break any rules because they know it will result in certain disciplinary actions. Second, the company will need to exert less obtrusive management supervision. Both these results are in the best interests of the company and the people who work there. A critical element of success in the business world is worker productivity. Foucault’s looked at Panopticism as a way a prison could evaluate its practices by observing the behavior of the inmates. Panopticism made it possible to perfect the procedures of the prison by constant observation of the prisoners and adjustment of its methods. The same concept of observing behavior and adjusting polices and procedures applies to the business world. Foucault projected this notion when he said, “The Panopticon, on the other hand, has a role of amplification; although it arranges power, although it is intended to make it more economic and more effective, it does so not for power itself, nor for the immediate salvation of a threatened society: its aim is to strengthen the social forces - to increase production, to develop the economy, spread education, raise the level of public morality; to increase and multiply”. By applying this aspect of Panopticism to business environment companies can become more efficient and worker productivity will be enhanced. Panopticism in the business world can be either a negative or positive tool, and must be recognized as such. When the concepts are applied appropriately, they are not used as a mechanism of power, but rather as a way for a company to increase its effectiveness and related competitiveness. As such, the Panopticism concept of knowledge is power, sovereignty and individual rights, guided behavior and productivity can be used to benefit both the company and each individual worker. Foucault suggested that the effect of Panopticism could be a very effective educational tool. Used this way in business, Panopticism can greatly increase a company’s chance of being successful. 2