Description

SCIENTIFIC OBJECTIVES AND RESEARCH QUESTIONS

This thesis aims to explore the tension between data-driven optimisation and the preservation of the collective’s well-being. The central research question is as follows: How do the introduction and use of individualised performance metrics reshape collective action, managerial control mechanisms and well-being at work, and under what conditions is interactive and empowering control possible?

The research objectives are organised around three managerial strands:

1. Dynamics of appropriation and/or resistance in the face of shared control over the body: this will involve analysing how players and staff receive, interpret and integrate (or reject) quantitative data, as well as studying the transition from a sense of panoptic surveillance to the use of data as a tool for reflexivity and shared learning.
2. Performative effects and organisational tensions: To identify the dysfunctions caused by quantification (exacerbated internal competition, strategies to optimise indicators at the expense of the game system, erosion of trust) and to document the shift from the ‘collective we’ towards the ‘measured self’.
3. Intervention research and the design of sustainable support mechanisms: To design, test and empirically evaluate — drawing on an experimental phase involving the introduction of GPS sensors within a control group — ethical support mechanisms. The challenge is to model acceptable spaces for discussion and feedback mechanisms that reconcile organisational performance with overall well-being (physical, mental and social).

The thesis will draw on rigorous qualitative methodologies (on-site participant observation of the club’s day-to-day activities, semi-structured interviews, biographical analyses, etc.). The interdisciplinary nature of the project will enable these qualitative data to be linked with the digital indicators (GPS, machine learning) developed in parallel by the Sports Science component of the project, thereby offering a wealth of analytical insights and a high-impact research-intervention framework, as the aim will be to co-design, with Colomiers Rugby Club, tailored and ethical feedback mechanisms that promote a healthy, sustainable and thoughtful use of performance data.

DESIRED PROFILE

• Qualifications: Holder (or due to obtain by autumn 2026) of a Master’s 2 in Research or an equivalent qualification in Management Sciences (specialising in Human Resource Management, Organisational Behaviour, Management Control / Organisational Management or Sports Management).
• Methodological skills: Proficiency in qualitative research tools (designing interview guides, thematic coding, observation). An openness to or interest in combining qualitative and quantitative data is desirable.
• Personal qualities: Excellent interpersonal and adaptability skills, essential for integrating into a professional sports organisation (changing rooms, training sessions, coaching staff). Independence, scientific rigour and a strong aptitude for working in interdisciplinary teams.

WORKING CONDITIONS AND ENVIRONMENT

The PhD student will be fully integrated into the LGTO laboratory (University of Toulouse) and affiliated with the doctoral programme at Toulouse School of Management (TSM). They will benefit from a stimulating dual immersion: academic (through regular collaboration with sports science researchers at the CRCA/CNRS) and professional (within the Colomiers Rugby club, with on-the-ground support from a club member familiar with these research approaches).

APPLICATION PROCEDURES

The application pack (detailed CV, context-specific cover letter, Master’s degree transcripts, and a summary of the M2 dissertation) should be sent jointly by email to:

• Anne-Laure Gatignon Turnau: anne-laure.gatignon-turnau@utoulouse.fr
• Christophe Godowski: christophe.godowski@utoulouse.fr
• Cristian Pasquaretta: cristian.pasquaretta@utoulouse.fr

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION

24 August 2027