An architecture in which observation is possible but unverifiable induces self-monitoring, so the watching need not actually occur.
Bentham's 1791 design, developed by Foucault in 1975. The mechanism is that observation must be possible and unverifiable: the inmate cannot tell when the tower is occupied, so must behave as if always.
In practice
- An open-plan office where a manager could be watching produces behaviour as though one were, which is cheaper than watching.
- A system that logs every action changes what is done long before anyone reads a log.
- Further reading
- Wikipedia
- Subject
- Organizations & Bureaucracy
- Essay
- Why organisations learn, harden and decline