Towards a conceptualization of work autonomy: professional heteronomy: the experience of a networked "multi-artisan" firm.

Summary For several years, autonomy in the workplace has been a leitmotif in management science publications, as well as in the words of company managers. Accompanied by the "networking" of actors, it seems to be a key factor in the adaptation of organizations to an environment marked by instability and unpredictability. However, the notion of autonomy remains poorly understood in management science. This is why we turn to various sciences for which autonomy has been a central notion for a long time: biology, physiology, genetics, ethology, cognitive sciences, psychology, psychiatry, sociology, cybernetics and systems science, in order to identify the deep meaning of this notion, to specify its contours and to propose a definition. Then, from a research-observation carried out in a construction company, we highlight the potential organizational and human implications of the implementation of a strategy of empowerment-networking of the actors in the company. The epistemological reflection that accompanies the whole of this work leads us to revisit the paradigm of constructivist epistemologies by proposing various ways of development.