An Ontology of Empathy: Shadowing as a Method of Affective Ethnography[Une ontologie de l'empathie : la filature sensible comme méthode ethnographique affective]

This article explores ethnographic shadowing as a sensitive and ontologically empathic method, capable of capturing the affective, material, and relational dimensions of lived experience within organizational contexts. Based on a fieldwork conducted with eight corporate nomads, the analysis highlights subtle tensions observed throughout their daily routines. A custom observation grid, focused on sensory and bodily perceptions, enabled the operationalization of affective ethnography by anchoring the analysis in a fine-tuned attention to weak signals and ambient dynamics. This approach repositions shadowing as a research method, able to convey the complexity of lived experience. Finally, the article reflects on the strengths and limitations of an empathic inquiry, particularly in how it engages the researcher both sensorially and ethically, and calls for more situated and embodied forms of research restitution.