This article examines the structural transition in human resource management philosophy from the techno-bureaucratic model to Culture & People Management (CPM), which we frame as a deep epistemological and sociological rupture rather than a mere technical update. Drawing on over five years of participant observation in an Algerian university environment (2019–2024), we mobilise Bourdieu's theory of symbolic capital, Honneth's recognition theory, Sainsaulieu and Dubar's frameworks of professional identity, and Kunda's normative control thesis to critically analyse this transition. We also revisit Mercure et al.'s (1997) fieldwork in Algeria as a benchmark for understanding the structural tensions between formal management models and local cultural logics. Our analysis reveals an internal dialectic within CPM: a liberatory potential that restores the individual's symbolic agency, and a hegemonic potential that reproduces domination in humanist garb. We argue that in the Algerian context, CPM cannot fulfil its emancipatory promise unless it begins with explicit recognition of the organisational culture that already exists — not the one prescribed by imported management manuals. Our ethnological findings document a persistent yet evolving organisational duality, the prevalence of symbolic injustice in recognition structures, and the strategic nature of identity negotiation among Algerian academics.