Article pp.201-204 du Vol.38 n°223 (2012)

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MANAGING THE COMPLEXITY

Guest Editors: Benoît Journé, Amaury Grimand, Lionel Garreau

9 Contributors to this issue 13 RFG-AIMS : A Partnership

Benoît Journé

15 Coping with complexity: illusions, audacities, humilities Benoît Journé, Amaury Grimand, Lionel Garreau 27 Strategists facing strategy: tensions and practices

Stéphanie Dameron, Christophe Torset

Research on strategy has raised many distinctions, oppositions and disjunctions.

In this article, we propose a dialogical representation of strategizing as the art of balancing tensions. Based on the content analysis of 68 interviews with strategists who hold different positions in or outside organizations, our results highlight four main tensions that surround strategists’ discourse: social, cognitive, focus and time tension. These tensions compose a dialogical representation of strategy that combines a “strategy” perspective with an

“antestrategy” conception of strategy work. Strategists share this tension-based representation of strategy, but they use it differently in their discourse, constructing a subjectivity that maximises their control and power on strategy work.

43 The Greek crisis : A failed scandal

Jérémy Morales, Yves Gendron, Henri Guénin-Paracini

This paper studies the reinforcement of state managerialism in a context of potentially destabilising crises. Through the case of the Greek public accounts window-dressing, we analyse problematizing trajectories followed in the media and that participate in the naturalisation of neoliberalism by producing a collective interpretation favouring the perpetuation of the status quo.

issue 222 April 2012

S U M M A R Y

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59 Emotions and Bureaucracy: what kind of paradoxical requirements?

Ariel Eggrickx, Agnès Mazars-Chapelon

Whereas management literature about emotions is particularly rich and diverse, emotions within bureaucracies are still considered to be controlled, and even denied. It appears paradoxical, not only from a theoretical point of view but also from an empirical approach. We conducted a qualitative case study in four French Family Allowance Offices and we observed an unexpected result: the managers had been dealing with excessive negative emotions for several years.

Both considering organizational studies on emotions and empirical data, we enhance the traditional model of the bureaucratic vicious circle in a double way.

We highlight the emotional dimension of the vicious circle, and the non- intentional involvement of top managers in the deepening of this emotional vicious circle. Consequently, what are the perspectives for bureaucracies? A second-order change?

75 Developing the legitimacy of a new Business Model Amira Laifi

The objective of this paper is to determine the type of legitimacy of a new Business Model (BM) using a case study method. This research is based on the Cyberlibris BM, a digital library which disrupts the publishing sector. The radical change, which the digital library BM is likely to introduce, is mainly mirrored in the radical change of the revenue model. This case study allows us to transcend the instrumental approach in which BM is generally subscribed, and sheds light on the manner in which moral, cognitive and pragmatic dimensions interact and establish acceptance of a new BM.

91 Creativeness and inventiveness of lead users.

The case of the kiteboarders community Dieter Hillairet

How can the creativeness of lead users and the technical solutions they imagine compensate for the lack of innovation of business companies? From the case study of the function creep of a product of the “Wichard” trademark, initially made for sailing water sports, this article describes the capacity of lead users to initiate, by themselves, new solutions adapted to their own needs and all the members of a same community of practice. This article shows how a trademark of a specialist had to overcome technical and strategic issues due to function creep realized by some particularly inventive users.

202 Revue française de gestion – N° 223/2012

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105 Facing economical crises through network organizations Odile Chanut, Carole Poirel

An economical crisis usually triggers a reaction by individual firms. However, albeit the concept of “reactivity” has been well studied in the strategic management field, it has rarely been examined from an inter-organisational point of view. This article precisely addresses the issue of business networks reactivity, using franchises as a focal point. Should an economical crisis takes place, it appears that network organisations are more proactive when they have already developed strong relationships based on trust and communication, as well as created a solid foundation for inter-organisational learning.

123 Altruism and gift without counterpart in a dynamic of alliance formation.

The Renault-Nissan Case Olivier Masclef

This study analyses the role of altruism during the formation of the Renault- Nissan alliance between January 1998 and March 1999. First, we will present the literature on altruism and the gift without counterpart. Then, we will show the strong presence of gifts without counterpart and altruistic managerial practices from Renault and their beneficial role in the dynamics of the alliance formation.

137 Sense, objects and strategy-as-practice in a shopping centre development project

Lionel Garreau, Philippe Mouricou

Sensemaking practices are a core activity for strategizing in organizations.

Managers can use various types of objects to shape sense in a project. We propose an integrative framework to analyse the sensemaking practices at work in a real estate project. Our results provide a better understanding of the micro foundations of strategy and sensemaking.

153 Coordination as a two-two time practice: the case of a racing sailboat Isabelle Bouty, Carole Drucker-Godard

In this article we study the coordination practice of the crewmembers of a racing sailboat with the view to better understand how individuals coordinate their contributions in a changing and distributed situation. We specifically point to the rhythmic nature of coordination with the alternation of operations and conduct. We additionally show that certain actors hold central role in making up this unplanned yet essential beat.

Summary 203

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167 Collective competencies by looking back. Past experience practices in the French Air Force Aerobatic Team

Cécile Godé

This paper investigates practices embedding in experience feedback and the way they promote collective competencies. To address the research question, we build on an extreme single-case study regarding debriefing practices developed by the French Air Force Aerobatic Team (AFAT) members, during or/and just after their flight. Our results shed light on the key role played by communication, socialization and reflective practices, since they encourage action learning (short time) at the individual level and a cumulative process of experiences (long time) at the collective level.

181 Situationist drift: the shortest way to learn about entrepreneurial practices?

Sylvain Bureau, Jacqueline Fendt

Entrepreneurship courses in business schools appear disconnected from real entrepreneurial practices. The traditional pedagogy occurs in a predictable context where standard causal reasoning is perfectly well-adapted. The authors suggest overcoming this opposition by building new learning situations based on effectuation theory and an experiment – the dérive, or drift – drawing on the works of the Situationists International. They show how students can benefit from this experiment to learn entrepreneurship.

201 Summary

205 Instructions for Authors

204 Revue française de gestion – N° 223/2012