Pistas da concepção de trabalho no Fayolismo: reflexões em diálogo com a Ergologia e a Clínica da Atividade

Abstract

This study focuses on the problematization of work conceptions in the Classical Theory of Management developed by Henri Fayol, known as Fayolism. The objective is to analyze, in dialogue with Activity Clinic and Ergology, clues about how the notion of work, underlying the work of management, is presented in Fayolism. This theoretical research study uses an integrative literature review to identify clues about the conceptions of work present in Henri Fayol's theory, placing them in dialogue with the framework of Work Clinics, specifically with Activity Clinic and Ergology, a field that focuses mainly on the relationships between work and subjectivity. The results indicate that, in Fayolism, work is conceived from a generic and devitalized perspective, primarily based on the pursuit of total predictability, placing workers in a position of obedience and passivity. In this way, such an epistemological position disregards the micro-managements operated by workers in the daily tasks of concrete work situations. The Work Clinics offer conceptual and methodological counterpoints to this perspective, providing access to the complexity of work, as well as to the investments and contributions of individuals to its realization. Fayol’s theory is one of the foundations of the Classical School of Management and is present in undergraduate education in this professional field, a fact that may contribute to the dissemination of certain ways of thinking and questioning work. Therefore, it is imperative to problematize the conception of work that guides the work of managers, in order to reflect on the relationship between health and work, as well as on undergraduate education in business administration.