Neoliberal Theory Research Articles

THEORETICAL AND METHODOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS OF ECONOMIC DIPLOMACY IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

Economic diplomacy serves as a key tool of foreign policy aimed at promoting and protecting a state's economic interests. In the context of globalization and an open economy, states strive to utilize economic diplomacy to foster sustainable development, create jobs, and attract foreign investment. Modern geopolitica l and geo-economic challenges require a reevaluation of traditional approaches to economic diplomacy, including strengthening the role of the state and regional organizations.The article presents classic theories of international relations, regional studies, and politic a l science used to study economic diplomacy: realism, neorealism, liberalism, neoliberalis m, and constructivism, as well as political elites. It demonstrates that realism, which focuses on the role of the state as the primary actor in international relations, is actively employed in the study of economic diplomacy. Neorealism expands the understanding of state power and acknowledges the importance of international organizations. Liberalism emphasizes interstate cooperation and institutiona l mechanisms. The inclusion of business representatives in official visits supports neoliberal theory. Constructivism, in continuation of neoliberalism's tenets, analyzes internationa l and regional relations through the lens of identity and the perception of actorstowards one another.The main conclusions of the article underscore the necessity of an integrative and interdisciplinary approach to the study of economic diplomacy, as well as the importance of revisiting and diversifying approaches and concepts in light of contemporary globa l transformations.

FEATURES OF THE REGIONAL POLICY OF THE PRC AND ITS REFLECTION IN RELATIONS WITH KAZAKHSTAN

The article examines the specific features of the regional policy of the People's Republic of China in historical perspective and provides a critical assessment of the foreign policy views of generations of Chinese authorities. It shows how the complex international situation during the first generation of Chinese power influenced the country's foreign policy positions and the level of influence of Chinese foreign policy views on the world order during the Cold War. The study aimed to determine the reflection of China's regional political views in Kazakh-Chinese relations, to find out the features of the adaptation of the core of the Chinese authorities' foreign policy positions to modern criticism. The novelty of the study lies in identifying the features of the regional policy of the People's Republic of China and its reflection in Kazakh-Chinese relations. The objectives of the work include identifying the main strategic features of the foreign policy of each generation of the Chinese government, identifying its influence on the regional political situation and influence on Kazakh-Chinese relations, as well as studying the nature of topical issues between Kazakhstan and China. The topic of the study was considered on the basis of the theory of neorealism, neoliberalism and integration using the methods of historical-comparative, statistical, structural analysis and systematization. These methods helped to comprehensively consider the problem and systematize the results of the analysis. The results of the study allow theoretically comprehending China's regional policy and gaining a deeper understanding of its impact on Kazakh-Chinese relations. The results of the research work can be widely used in studies in the field of international relations, oriental studies, political science, sinology, and history.

On Foucault’s Legacy: Governmentality, Critique and Subjectivation as Conceptual Tools for Understanding Neoliberalism

The text addresses Foucault’s critical understanding of neoliberalism as a new contemporary governmentality strategy for the conduction of people’s lives. A major aspect of Foucault’s analysis of neoliberalism relies on his understanding of the neoliberal homo oeconomicus as dependent on subjectivation processes related to self-assumed values and standards oriented by the competitive economic market. Our hypothesis is that governmentality, critique and subjectivation are the core notions that shaped Foucault’s understanding of neoliberalism and form the legacy of his seminal analysis. Contrary to critics who affirm that Foucault flirted or even became fascinated with neoliberalism, we argue that he offered critical tools for its understanding in a critique that is not to be confused with denunciation, however. Accordingly, we discuss Foucault’s conception of critique and relate his analysis of neoliberalism to his notions of governmentality and subjectivation. Finally, we briefly point out how some contemporary critics of the neoliberal order have appropriated and developed Foucault’s conceptual tools in their own understanding of it. We conclude that although Foucault did not propose a comprehensive theory of neoliberalism, he offered important critical insights for the understanding of it in our times.

Comparing two transfer spaces over time and against a global script: the case of school-autonomy-with-accountability

ABSTRACT The study compares the selective adoption of the global school-autonomy-with-accountability (SAWA) reform in two cantons of Switzerland (Zurich and St. Gallen) over the period 1995–2015. The authors dissect the SAWA reform into three aspects: its theory of change, its bundle of policies, and its preferred policy instruments to achieve and sustain change. Methodologically, the study draws on a database of over 1,200 policy-relevant documents and expert interviews related to the so-called ‘outcomes-oriented school reform’ (German: wirkungsorientierte Schulreform) or SAWA, respectively. In an endeavor to advance research on policy borrowing, the authors propose a distinction between six temporal features of policy transfer: time, timing, tempo, lifespan, age, and sequence. They find that SAWA’s neoliberal theory of change was not adopted. However, select policies and instruments were transferred and translated into the Swiss context. Furthermore, some policies expanded over time (standardized testing), some were dropped after a while (performance pay), some were kept on the books but, with age, hollowed out over time (external evaluation), and some were long-lived and were institutionalized (professional school management).

Driving Factors Affecting the Migration of Young Nursing Care Professionals from Pokhara in a Globalized World: A Hospital Ethnography

Due to unfulfilled expectations in local health-care industry, the participating nurses working in private hospitals in Pokhara were willing to migrate abroad where their aspirations could be met. The irritation, worry, and unhappiness with their career were revealed by the focused-group discussion, in-depth interview, and kuragraphy methods utilized in this study among young nurses in Pokhara. Some of the nurses had already registered for overseas studies and jobs while still working in hospitals and awaiting their visas. As globalization has stimulated the movement of people, the concept of globalization in association with neo-classical and new economic theory of migration, transnationalism, neoliberalism and world-systems from an anthropological standpoint has been applied to analyze the reasons of participant nurses to migrate where the study found that the main reasons for them to migrate were low pay, an uncertain future, a lack of career opportunities, job pressure, and the trend of out-migration. These competent nurses desired to work in core nations have considered semi-periphery as a secondary option. Through the stories of young nurses, this study exposes the dire condition in Nepal’s health-care industry which is motivating nurses to relocate in destination countries resulting brain-drain.

The Role of International Trade Agreements in Shaping Labor Standards and Worker Rights

Purpose: The aim of the study was to examine the role of International Trade Agreements in Shaping Labor Standards and Worker Rights Methodology: This study adopted a desk methodology. A desk study research design is commonly known as secondary data collection. This is basically collecting data from existing resources preferably because of its low cost advantage as compared to a field research. Our current study looked into already published studies and reports as the data was easily accessed through online journals and libraries. Findings: The study revealed that trade agreements have both positive and negative impacts on labor standards depending on the specific provisions, implementation strategies, and contextual factors. While some agreements contribute to the convergence of labor standards and promote improvements in areas such as workplace safety and environmental regulations, others may lead to downward pressure on labor standards due to intensified competition and weakened enforcement mechanisms. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: Neo-liberal theory, dependency theory & institutional theory may be used to anchor future studies on the international trade agreements in shaping labor standards and worker rights. Enhance the capacity of international organizations and national governments to monitor and enforce labor standards effectively within the framework of trade agreements. This includes investing in robust inspection systems, implementing transparent reporting mechanisms, and providing adequate resources for enforcement agencies. Embed comprehensive social clauses in trade agreements that prioritize the protection of labor rights and promote decent work for all. These clauses should encompass core labor standards as defined by the International Labour Organization (ILO), along with provisions for non-discrimination, gender equality, and social protection.

Enhancing Consumer and Family Economic Well-Being in ASEAN: The Role of Technological Advancement and Institutional Quality in Navigating the Informal Economy

This study aims to assess the role of technological advancement and institutional quality in mitigating the formal economy and fostering more inclusive economic well-being for families and consumers in ASEAN countries. This study employed panel data analysis using yearly data for the ten countries in ASEAN, spanning from 2008 to 2018. Findings indicate significant and diverse impacts of technological advancement on the informal economy. The study found that the interaction between technological advancement and economic growth strengthens the relationship between the informal economy across models. The higher economic growth in a country is associated with reduced informal economic activities, as reflected in the principles of modernization theory. The finding further shows the significance of institutional quality in shaping the informal economy. Strong institutional quality helps to create a structured environment that reduces informal economic activities, aligning with neoliberal theory. Governance quality, including the absence of violence and terrorism and the control of corruption, plays a role in mitigating informalities. The study’s primary contribution is its specific focus on the informal economy and the intricacies of ASEAN nations. The study also provides empirical insights into the behavior and determinants of the informal economy in ASEAN nations. Even though the study acknowledges limitations related to data availability and the challenges of quantifying the gig economy, it holds valuable policy implications.

The Use of Licensing to Promote Competition among Telecom Operators and the Growth of Mobile Telecommunication Networks in Nigeria, 2011-2022

Many practitioners and investors have praised the use of licensing to enhance competition in the telecom sector due to its real effects on the Nigerian economy. However, since 2011, subscribers in the industry have had a mixed experience with the license issue due to problems with telecom companies' exploitative tendencies and antics, which make it difficult for customers to acquire reliable and reasonably priced telecoms services. With a focus on the institutional and legal safeguards put in place by the government to ensure that the operators abide by the licensing and regulation powers granted to them by the law, the study essentially examines how licensing affects competition among telecom operators and the expansion of mobile telecom networks in Nigeria. The paper's methodology adopted the documentary approach, and the data were ostensibly gathered from secondary sources and examined in terms of substance. Neo-liberal theory of the state provided a sufficient theoretical foundation for the examination of the study. The paper's findings demonstrate that while the expansion of Nigeria's mobile telecom networks is aided by the use of licensing to promote competition among telecom operators, consumers' access to affordable and high-quality telecommunications services is restricted by the exploitative tendencies and antics of telecom companies. The paper's suggestions were based on these findings, and one of them was that Telecommunications service tariffs must always be cost-oriented and reflect the actual costs borne by operators to provide the services in question.

Exploring the performance of casual workers of banks in Sokoto-Nigeria

Despite the unpleasant conditions, such as lower and insufficient wages, higher working hours, longer length of service, total absence of casual workers union, indirect employment aided by the bank’s top directors, etc., casual workers are highly committed in performing their roles and achieving their organizational goals. Neoliberal theory and Equity theory were used for guidance in this study. The study employed qualitative analysis style; Total of ten banks were selected as a sample of the study involving sixty participants who were all casual workers; twenty-four female and the remaining thirty-six were male, have been selected using purposeful sampling. Content analysis was used as the method of data analysis. The study shows some of the functions performed by the casual workers of Nigerian banks include quick client service, amenability to work, client care services, opening of accounts, marketing, and timely task completion. Others include furnishing prompt client service, being prepared to work, and finishing assignments on schedule., thus, the study concludes that despite the outstanding performance of casual workers in achieving their organizational pretensions, they’re largely exploited. The recommendation of the study is that employment should be grounded on fair stipend, safety at work and protection for casual workers, in short, work should encompass fairness, equivalency, and freedom of association. Also, Payment of the benefit accumulated by the casual workers should be linked directly between casual workers and their associations.

Beyond (and Alongside) Shameful Attachments: The Lived Experience of Critique Within the Entrepreneurial University

During 2019, we embarked on a fieldwork based on 18 semi-structured interviews with international scholars in the humanities and social sciences in Chilean universities to explore their experiences with knowledge. Drawing on theories of critique and neoliberalism, we analyzed their ambivalent and unsettling conjunction of attachments to neoliberal and critical knowledge formations. By developing the notion of regime of epistemic subjectification, we emphasized the affective intensities these experiences brought to bear amid the differential weight and interplay of neoliberalism and critique as ethico-epistemic modes of engagement. We argued that the dominant focus on neoliberal knowledge and entrepreneurial subjectivity, albeit intense, expansive, and seemingly omnipresent, must be complicated by exposing its ambivalent affective and somatic force, and recognizing the difference between critical academic products and the lived experience of critique. The latter was constituted in the outsides of the inside of the neoliberal knowledge regime.

Effects of the Informal Street Food Vendors’ Operations on the Socio-cultural and Economic Wellbeing of Nyeri Town Public

Nyeri town boasts of informal street food vendors found on almost every street, offering products ranging from indigenous to trendy cuisines. During evening hours, the informal street food operators compete for the street space with the town public. The design and the size of the town’s major streets have not been reviewed to accommodate the increasing number of informal street food vendors and the growing urban community. This study investigated the effects of the informal street food vendors’ location, products, operating time and modus operandi on the Socio-cultural and Economic Wellbeing of the urban community in Nyeri town. The researchers combined the integrated model, neo-Marxist and neo-liberal theories to contextualize the development and growth of informal street foods. Neo-Marxist theory posits that the informal sector expands as urbanization increases, and the Neo-liberal theory –argues that entrepreneurs pursue informal sectors in order to operate outside the official business frameworks to explore the subject of the study. Using the cross-sectional survey design, the study adopted the enumeration and convenience sampling techniques to select vendors and consumers respectively that responded to the questionnaire administered face-to-face. The qualitative data was analysed using the thematic content analysis, and the output was transformed into quantitative data to give percentages and frequencies. The informal street ventures inconvenienced street users, especially during rush hours. The food-related waste and a cocktail of food aromas made the street ambience less attractive. The equipment used on the streets and the unsecured fire points posed a great risk to the public. The study concludes that informal street food ventures provide employment that sustains livelihoods. The informal street businesses facilitate the flow of resources, and promote the mainstream economies like agriculture, retail and food manufacturing, thus contributing to wealth creation in the county. The study recommends benchmarking to explore ways to change the perception that informal street foods are unsafe, unhealthy and the ventures make the street look unattractive. In countries like Thailand in the city of Phuket, informal street foods are conducted in an organized manner

From Public Sociology to Sociological Publics: The Importance of Reverse Tutelage to Social Theory

This article develops an alternative vision of public sociology. Whereas public sociology is often defined through the actions of professional sociologists, this article calls for a recognition of reverse tutelage in public sociology. Here, publics are seen as sociological interlocutors who can, and often do, produce sociological theories and analyses that can inform professional sociology. I demonstrate this reverse tutelage by focusing on anticolonial and anti-racist social movements, including the Zapatistas, Black Lives Matter, Palestine Action, and Cops Are Flops. I highlight how they produce sociological theories of power, neoliberalism, race, bordering, and violence that can orient professional sociology toward relational forms of analysis that build connections between different sites of resistance. In doing so, I highlight how the boundary between what Burawoy terms “professional” and “critical” sociology is much more porous than initially theorized and that critical sociology—from wider publics—can significantly shape professional sociology.

Perceptions on English as a Medium of Instruction in Community School in Nepal

English as a medium of instruction (EMI) is a model of teaching in which non-English subjects are taught through the medium of English. It has become popular more than a decade and it has increased its tendency rapidly within Nepal and in global context. This study aims at exploring the perceptions of policy maker, head teachers, teachers, students and parents on the use of English as the medium of instruction particularly focusing on its effectiveness in the community schools in Nepal. Having seen the broader picture, I have conducted the qualitative interpretative research adopting narrative inquiry design to explore the ground reality of EMI implementation and its effectiveness. For this, I have selected altogether eight participants from policy to practice level who have observed and experienced the EMI. The entire research study is connected to the theory of neo-liberalism. This interpretive data reveals that the EMI has created a lot of tension to both the teachers and the students. The research findings suggest that the EMI is adopted without any planning and analyzing the teachers' readiness. The intervention of EMI at community schools has been a great challenge not only from the perspectives of instructional difficulties but also found much more challenges in terms of language to all the students and teachers.

Strategies for Streamlined Urban Development: A Case Study of Land Use Succession in Upper Hill, Nairobi

This study examines the dynamics of Urban Land Use Succession (ULUS) in Upper Hill, Nairobi, highlighting the impact of neoliberal policies and private sector-led urban redevelopment. It investigates how land tenure, public infrastructure, and planning controls shape urban landscapes, leading to patchwork land use patterns and environmental misalignments. The case of Upper Hill, transitioning from a serene residential area to a bustling commercial hub, is explored to understand the determinants of ULUS and propose strategies for streamlined urban development. Employing Neoliberal Theory and hypothesis testing, the research identifies spatial policy as the primary driver of ULUS. The study suggests innovative approaches, including land assembly and the establishment of an Urban Redevelopment Authority, to harmonize urban development. These strategies aim to bridge the gap between private and public land development, ensuring coherent urban growth. The research contributes to the understanding of urban redevelopment, particularly in Kenyan contexts, by offering a model that integrates public and private interests. This model serves as a blueprint for managing urban transformation in Nairobi and other similar urban settings, promoting sustainable and equitable urban development.

Cambodia’s engagement on ASEAN regional security issues

This article examines Cambodia’s involvement in regional security issues within the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN). The relevance of the topic of the study is due to the growing tension in the region of the South China Sea, consisting in the confrontation between the USA and the PRC, and the increase in terrorist activities in South-East Asia. The author examines in detail the history of the formation and development of the ASEAN, the evolution of the association’s regional security system. The author closely analyzes the problems of regional security of ASEAN, the role of the Kingdom of Cambodia in solving previously mentioned problems. The study focuses on ASEAN regional security issues in South-East Asia. The study focuses on the role of the Kingdom of Cambodia in addressing ASEAN regional security concerns. This scientific article is based on the theory of neoliberalism. The main conclusions of the research are related to the study of the history of the formation and development of the ASEAN, the evolution of the association’s regional security system, the identification of key problems of ensuring ASEAN regional security, among which we can highlight the growth of terrorist activities, the tension between the United States and the People’s Republic of China, the lack of a legal framework to resolve or respond to military conflicts, the definition of the role of Cambodia in the settlement of regional security problems in ASEAN, based on the rich experience in the implementation of counter-terrorism activities and on leveling the rivalry of the PRC and the USA in the Asia-Pacific, built on strong bilateral relations as with the United States; just like in China. The scientific novelty of the study is the content-analysis of key ASEAN documents and the structuring of the ASEAN regional security system.

Chinese as an instrument of cultural diplomacy of the People’s Republic of China

This scientific article is devoted to the role of the Chinese language in the cultural diplomacy of the People’s Republic of China. The relevance of the research topic is due to: first, the growth of the influence of the People’s Republic of China on the international arena; secondly, the acceleration of the process of transformation of the international situation, consisting in «power transition» from the USA to China; third, strengthening relations between the PRC and the countries of the collective "non-West". The object of this study is the cultural diplomacy of the PRC. The study focuses on the Chinese language as an instrument of Chinese cultural diplomacy. The aim of the study is to determine the role of the Chinese language in the cultural diplomacy of China. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to solve the following tasks: to study the process of implementing the cultural diplomacy of the People’s Republic of China in the context of «power transition», to define the role of the Chinese language in the cultural diplomacy of the People’s Republic of China in the context of «One Belt One Road». This study is based on the theory of neoliberalism, which implies the primacy of international political, economic and cultural cooperation as a factor restraining potential hostilities. The main conclusions of the study are the characteristic of cultural diplomacy as an integral part of inter-state relations, identification of the key tools for the implementation of Chinese cultural diplomacy at the present stage in the form of a symbiosis of the initiative «One Belt One Road» and the activities of the Confucius Institutes, characterization of the PRC as the key and only rival of the United States of America on the international arena in the context of the theory of «power transition».

Strategic Preferential Procurement Policy for Localisation and Inclusive Growth for Micro Small Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Gauteng Province

The study aims to develop interventions to address the low productive capacity and competitiveness levels of township Micro Small Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to enable meaningful participation in the mainstream economy. Most township firms continue to be informal and underdeveloped. Despite countless interventions by the development finance institutions, most township enterprises remain perpetual survivalists. The study is anchored upon the neoliberal theory, which emphasizes value for money and market efficiencies in procurement, as well as interventionist theories promoting the inclusion and participation of MSMEs in business, and advocating for the localization of products through various policy interventions. The researcher adopted a mixed-method approach to gather primary and secondary data. Secondary data was used for analysis and supported by the primary information or empirical evidence. The secondary data enriched the research content and complemented the primary data. Databases and reports on township suppliers from the Gauteng Provincial Treasury (Procurement Division) and Gauteng Department of Economic Development helped determine the extent of MSMEs' access to development and financial support opportunities. The study found that the high informality level of township businesses, low level of development, poor economic infrastructure, and lack of access to finance hinder MSMEs' participation in public procurement. Programs and products offered by government agencies do not adequately respond to public procurement challenges facing MSMEs, e.g. product testing and accreditation. The high barriers to entry due to complicated administrative processes and procedures continue to deter MSMEs from participating in the mainstream economy. The Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) were found to be a challenge due to a mismatch between the resource structure to drive economic development and the products offered. The study recommends that to increase the participation of MSMEs in public procurement, there needs to be a targeted growth continuum strategy that tracks interventions from the beginning to the end. Additionally, there needs to be a shift from a quantitative approach with minimal impact to a customised one with qualitative, tangible and tradable products and skills aimed at increasing participation of MSMEs. Furthermore, the political will is required to address the resource mismatch, repurpose resources, or develop specific products by the well-resourced Development Finance Institutions to suit the material conditions of township MSMEs with lesser stringent measures.

The Challenges of Regional Integration and Effective Implementation of African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Policy in Africa

The paper is an investigation of the challenges of regional integration in Africa and their effects on the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) policy. The major objective of the paper is to proffer solutions to the challenges for the effective actualization of the policy. The assumptions of the neo-liberal theory were used to support the AfCFTA initiative to promote economic growth and development in Africa. The data used to advance the argument were obtained from secondary sources of data collection. The study finds that language barrier, multiple currencies, porosity of borders, foreign interference, political instability and insecurity, poor human development, over-lapping of membership of sub-regional organizations, poor state of infrastructure, and state-centric nature of integration initiatives are some of the core challenges hindering the effective execution of the AfCFTA policy. The study recommends that the African Union (AU) should intensify effort at realizing a single currency policy for Africa; design comprehensive regional security architecture to include high technological surveillance, joint air and ground border patrol among member states of Regional Economic Communities (RECs) to address trans-border crimes and insecurity. There should also be institutionalization of counterpart funding among AU member-states for infrastructural development; and encouragement of private and civil society participation in the integration initiative, among others. In concludes that if the challenges identified are not effectively addressed, it will be very difficult for the AU to successfully realize the objectives of the AfCFTA policy.

Beyond Neoliberalism and Capital Accumulation Theory: Evidence Learning from Turkey’s Economy

Neoliberalism is both a body of economic theory and a policy stance. The neoliberal theory claims that a largely unregulated capitalist system (“a free market economy”) embodies the ideal of free individual choice and achieves optimum economic performance.
 The phase of “embedded liberalism” was succeeded by an era of embedded neoliberalism in which the contradictions of global capitalism were veiled by the hegemonic ideology of individual freedom and prosperity in the nineteenth century.
 The conditions for a capitalist economy in Turkey were established in the 1920s within the republican political system, which supported the development of national economic capability for capitalist accumulation—albeit with strict government planning of the budget and control over the private sector and foreign trade and investment. After 1980, neoliberal economic reform weakened the statist system and, particularly since 2001, transformed Turkey into a transnational state better suited to the demands of a global economy.
 This paper tries to identify and find the link between neoliberalism and capital accumulation theory based on learning about Turkey’s economy before and after the crisis. We found that the outcome of neoliberal restructuring experiments depends crucially on pre-existing and changing power structures and relations in the course of state transformations. Thus, Turkey shifted to a neo-liberal model through voluntary choice but as an inevitable and forced outcome of a major balance of payments crisis associated with the exhaustion of the import-substitution model of industrialization.

Knowledge work compulsion: The neoliberal mediation of working existence in the network society

This contribution seeks to understand the pervasive phenomenon of work compulsion among knowledge workers in our present network society. Knowledge workers not only have to work all the time from anywhere, but they also appear to want to. This study argues that this curious phenomenon may be attributed to the thumotic satisfaction that knowledge work generates. What is more, the neoliberal theory of human capital has found a way to harness thumotic satisfaction to the profit incentive, and has created arguably the most productive working subject to date. The argument is divided into four parts: First, the paper analyses the government(- ality) of control operative in the network society by defining “neoliberalism”. It then focuses on Foucault’s examinations of German and American neoliberalism in the 20th century, treating them as instances of governmentality. The aim is to assess whether employing a governmentality lens is a valid approach for critically analysing present-day neoliberalism. If it proves justifiable, which I argue it does, the study explores the potential valuable insights gained from examining contemporary neoliberalism through this particular analytical framework. Second, the study turns to the “spiritedness” of knowledge workers under the conditions of stealth control that typify the neoliberal network society. Curiously, these highly engaged workers have reportedly experienced increased overall well-being. However, their overinvestment in work appears to be disproportionate to absolute necessity, increased earnings or improved overall quality of life. This paper contends that work compulsion generates and is in turn fuelled by thumotic satisfaction. Third, the study tries to ascertain the connection between neoliberal governmentality and thumos. Neoliberal governmentality appears to have found a way to appropriate thumotic satisfaction to produce and sustain the competitive entrepreneurial spirit. The fourth part of the study considers how the knowledge worker might resist the compulsion to work incessantly.