EM Normandie Business School, Métis Lab, France, France
Abstract: The current surge in the technologization of business practices unavoidably widens knowledge asymmetries between market actors and increases the need to delegate expertise. The ethical concerns regarding the dependency of those who remain impaired in this process lie in the implicit assumption that the delegation of expertise comes in inverse proportion to individual autonomy and, eventually, disempowers individuals. However, this paper revisits this widespread assumption and argues that there are two conditions under which the delegation of expertise can convey substantial degrees of individual autonomy: 1) the pervasiveness of dissensus and 2) the right to withdraw. Therefore, it is not inconceivable to cohabit with (and even emancipate from) the unavoidable pressure of socio-technical systems on business relations.
