Socio‐Normative Control in Alternative Forms of Work Organizations: How Self‐Management Practices Shape Control

ABSTRACT Control in organizational life has long been a central concern in Critical Management Studies, evolving from coercive to more subtle forms such as (neo)normative control. Yet, little is known about how control operates in alternative forms of work organizations (AFWOs), particularly those without formal leadership roles. This study investigates how self‐management practices shape control in AFWOs by examining the paradoxical tensions that arise in the absence of formal hierarchy. Based on an in‐depth case study and a practice‐based approach, we show how these tensions give rise to a distinct form of control. We extend the concept of socio‐normative control to describe a peer‐driven mechanism that is socially constructed, collectively accepted, and reinforced through formalized practices within a shared normative environment.