Research Note: In favour of training managers to struggle and put up resistance to minimise suffering at work: what can be taken from Axel Honneth's recognition theory

Abstract

Recent suicides in French companies have raised awareness about the levels of suffering that sometimes prevail in the world of work. This also affects managers. In recent years working conditions have visibly worsened amongst this group, which has desensitised people to it and led to mental suffering. Setting up and training people to use less distressing management tools is often advocated as a way of minimising such suffering. However, the objective of this piece is to suggest alternative training methods to combat suffering amongst managers. We intend to demonstrate that Honneth's recognition theory favours training for future managers to recognise and struggle collectively against suffering. We will attempt to put this approach into operation by calling on existing literature and our own training experience.