Use of technology to increase social control

While organizations maintain that the creation of a decentralized, team oriented, empowered culture is preferable they have increasingly utilized technology increase social control. While on the surface employees employee responses from a Gouldnerian perspective appear to be predictable, psychodynamically they create a symbolic duality. Technology is viewed by employees unconsciously as both a symbolic extension of management and a symbolic freedom from management constraints. Closeness of supervision/control is not face to face, it is distant, this provides a sense of freedom. However, technological supervision/control is never too distant. It is distant enough, therefore providing a sense of security and comfort. This paper explores the psychodynamics of increased security and the impact it has on employees and the field of psychoanalytically oriented organizational psychology.