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The term “psychosocial risks” (PSR) which appeared in the public debate in 2005-2006, has gradually expanded into economic, social and political-media spheres, to the point of becoming a well-known and recognized acronym by socioeconomic stakeholders nowadays. Beyond the excessive media coverage of work-related suicides, in particular at France Télécom (Du Roy, 2009), the popularization of this phenomenon is linked to three major evolutions: the rising economic cost of new professional risks for businesses, the evolution of work activity and the emergence of new expectations on behalf of the operators with regard to this activity. In terms of economic challenge, in the early 2000s, PSR accounted for 2 to 3 billion Euros, i.e. 20% of the expenditures of the “occupational accidents and diseases” branch, a cost borne by companies via the payment of contributions (Livian, 2008). There are indirect costs as well, such as absenteeism, loss of motivation, deterioration of the social climate or of the company’s image. As regards the evolution of work activity, the managerial turning point (Dejours & Bègue, 2009) characterized by the intensification of work, the complexification of organizations and the development of new obligations has contributed to the emergence of PSR and of new occupational ills, the weight of organization now being transferred to the workers (Boltanski & Chiapello, 1999). Lastly, the new expectations about work point to a new relation to work, an increased focus of the operators on psychosocial dimensions to the detriment of physical conditions…

English

This article seeks to analyze a certification method for psychosocial risks (PRS) prevention consultants and to compare it to the actual practices of these new expert figures. Both a complex and strategic field of knowledge, PSR are vague in terms of conceptual scope and terminology: on the one hand, they may be seen through a restrictive approach which individualizes risk, limiting the employer’s responsibility thereof and thus focusing on treating the employee; and on the other, through a wider approach encompassing the organizational dimension of the risk, extending the employer’s responsibility and thus focusing on treating the work and its organization. This double understanding, combined with the power plays and struggles between employers and staff representatives as well as with the hyper mediatization of these new professional risks (musculoskeletal disorders, burnout, harassment, etc.) has progressively given external consultants a central place, with the gradual creation of a market for advice and expertise in PSR prevention. Our exploratory study carried out within the consultants’ network i3r PACA with a tri-institutional coordination (DIRECCTE, CARSAT, ARACT), has first enabled us to study a certification method for consultants: the “i3r PACA” certification, giving birth to the institutional expert in PSR. Secondly, we interviewed 31 consultants from this network (out of 33) about their co-constructive, adaptative and/or militant prevention practices, which put the emphasis on the figure of the political expert. Our discussion will focus on questioning the new and hybrid forms between institutional expert and political expert, in particular with regard to the commodification of PSR guidance and expertise.

  • PSR
  • consultants
  • experts
  • prevention
  • certification
Français

Labellisation et pratiques des consultants en prévention des risques psychosociaux : de l’expert institutionnel à l’expert politique

L’objectif de cet article est d’analyser un mode de labellisation des consultants en prévention des risques psychosociaux (RPS), et de le confronter aux pratiques effectives de ces nouvelles figures expertes. Champ de connaissances à la fois complexe et stratégique, les RPS font état d’un périmètre conceptuel et terminologique flou : ces risques peuvent faire l’objet d’une approche restrictive, tendant à individualiser le risque, limiter la responsabilité de l’employeur et soigner le travailleur d’une part ; et d’une approche élargie, appréhendant la dimension organisationnelle du risque, étendant la responsabilité de l’employeur et soignant le travail et son organisation d’autre part. Cette double lecture, combinée aux jeux de pouvoir et rapports de force entre employeurs et représentants du personnel et à l’hypermédiatisation de ces nou- veaux risques professionnels (troubles musculo-squelettiques, burn-out, harcèlement, etc.), ont progressivement accordé une place centrale aux consultants externes, avec la constitution progressive d’un marché du conseil et de l’expertise en prévention des RPS. Notre étude exploratoire, menée au sein du réseau de consultants i3r PACA animé par un triptyque insti- tutionnel (DIRECCTE, CARSAT, ARACT), nous a permis dans un premier temps d’étudier un mode de labellisation de consultants : la labellisation « i3r PACA », donnant naissance à l’expert institutionnel en RPS. Dans un second temps, nous avons interrogé 31 consultants de ce réseau (sur 33) autour de leurs pratiques de prévention co-constructives, adaptatives et/ ou militantes, qui font émerger la figure de l’expert politique. Notre discussion s’attachera à interroger les nouvelles formes hybrides entre expert institutionnel et expert politique, notam- ment au regard de la marchandisation du conseil et de l’expertise en RPS.

  • RPS
  • consultants
  • experts
  • prévention
  • labellisation
Tarik Chakor
Tarik CHAKOR is a lecturer in management science at the Université Savoie Mont Blanc (IREGE - USMB) and teaches in the Marketing Techniques Department at the Annecy-le-Vieux IUT (university institute of technology). His research focuses on the management of occupational health, sports in the workplace and Hip-Hop management. Lastly, he co-directs the research group “Health and security in the workplace” of the Association francophone de Gestion des Ressources Humaines (AGHR) and participates in the research work of the Management and occupational health chair (IAE Grenoble, Université Grenoble Alpes).
IREGE EA 2426 - Université Savoie Mont Blanc
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