An Approach to Organizational Discipline Design: The Impact of Panopticon Practices on Employee Behavior

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to determine employees' perceptions of panopticon practices;the impact of this perception on work behavior and workplace approaches;whether perceptions of panopticon practices in the workplace differ based on certain demographic characteristics of employees;as well as to identify managers' perspectives on the panopticon and to investigate the organizational impact of the panopticon from managers' perspective.
Design/methodology/approach – Mixed methods research was used in the study. Data regarding the quantitative stage of the research were collected from employees of a production enterprise through a survey using the four-dimensional Panopticon scale developed by Bıyıkbeyi (2019). Data regarding the qualitative stage were collected through interviews with the same business managers using a semi-structured interview technique.
Results – As a result of the analysis conducted with IBM SPSS 26.0 (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) package program in the quantitative stage of the study it was concluded that the Panopticon had significant impact on employees. A significant difference was found between employees' "total working hours" and external accountability, positive panopticon, and awareness of being monitored while no significant difference was found with negative panopticon. On the other hand a relationship was found between employees' "tenure at the current company" and all sub-dimensions of the panopticon. In the qualitative stage of the study, descriptive analysis was used to analyze interviews with managers, and the findings were interpreted according to the identified themes. Accordingly, it was determined that the managers who participated in the research implemented surveillance for certain reasons, primarily discipline, provided that it was not too strict. In addition, it was found that managers deemed panopticon applications for employees necessary.
Discussion – By employing mixed methods research the study allows for the examination of the panopticon from both management and employee perspectives. In the qualitative stage of the study, information was obtained from managers about panopticon practices and their justifications; in the quantitative stage, employees' perceptions and behaviors towards the panopticon were examined. In this respect, the study provides a broad framework in the context of both organizations and literature.