The "Indefinite Discipline" of Competitiveness Benchmarking as a Neoliberal Technology of Government

Working on the assumption that ideas are embedded in socio-technical arrangements which actualize them, this essay sheds light on the way the Open Method of Co-ordination (OMC) achieves the Lisbon strategic goal: "to become the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world&q...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Minerva (London) 2009-09, Vol.47 (3), p.261-280
Main Author: Bruno, Isabelle
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Benchmarking
Competition
Competitiveness
Economic competition
Economic liberalism
Employment
Europe
European Council
European Union
Foucault, Michel
Government
Graphs
Higher Education
Knowledge economy
Lisbon strategy
Neoliberalism
Performance management
Public policy
Science and Technology Studies
Social Sciences
Technology
Technology assessment
Total quality management
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Summary:Working on the assumption that ideas are embedded in socio-technical arrangements which actualize them, this essay sheds light on the way the Open Method of Co-ordination (OMC) achieves the Lisbon strategic goal: "to become the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world". Rather than framing the issue in utilitarian terms, it focuses attention on quantified indicators, comparable statistics and common targets resulting from the increasing practice of intergovernmental benchmarking, in order to tackle the following questions: how does the OMC go about co-ordinating Member States through the benchmarking of national policies? And to what extent does this managerial device impact the path of European construction? Beyond the ideological and discursive construction of the competitive imperative, this technology of government transforms it into an "indefinite discipline" (Foucault) which constantly urges decisionmakers to hit the top of the charts. This contribution thus argues that the practice of intergovernmental benchmarking is far from being neutral in purpose and effect. On the contrary, it lays the foundation for building a "competitive Europe" which unites Member States through competition.
ISSN:0026-4695
1573-1871
DOI:10.1007/s11024-009-9128-0