Abstract Book of the 2nd International Management Conference
Year: 2025
[PDF]
Using Disruptive Innovation as A Management Tool to Improve Caregivers’ Empowerment
Armand Manukyan, Jérôme Dinet
ABSTRACT:
The French medico-social sector is undergoing deep structural tensions, characterized by staff shortages, rising psychosocial risks, and a loss of meaning among professionals. This research project aims to explore how disruptive digital innovation, when integrated through participatory and empowerment-oriented management, may serve as a lever for restoring engagement and professional well-being. Grounded in theories of innovation management, professional identity, and psychological empowerment, the project seeks to understand the conditions under which technological change supports or threatens caregivers’ sense of purpose. While disruptive innovations such as artificial intelligence and robotics offer potential for reducing workload and enhancing care quality, they may also provoke resistance when misaligned with professional values or perceived as imposed. This mixed-methods, multiple-case study will involve 40 participants across various medico-social organizations in France, including managers and frontline caregivers. The methodology will combine semistructured interviews, non-participant observations, and document analysis to examine how managerial styles influence the appropriation of innovation. Validated instruments—such as the Karasek Job Content Questionnaire and the Spreitzer Empowerment Scale—will be used to assess psychological demand, autonomy, and perceived empowerment. The project hypothesizes that user-centered and agile co-design approaches foster better acceptance of digital tools and reduce technostress, particularly when professionals are actively involved in the design and deployment phases. By highlighting the role of inclusive and participatory leadership, this study aims to contribute to the development of management models that position innovation as a strategic driver of meaning, dignity, and sustainability in the medicosocial sector.
Keywords: Empowerment, caregivers, disruptive, innovation