Au cours des dernières années, le nombre de catastrophes naturelles a subi une augmentation effrayante partout dans le monde. Même si le nombre de décès déclarés a diminué sur les dernières années, le nombre de personnes affectées ne cesse pas d'augmenter, ayant un grand impact dans la façon dont les opérations d'aide humanitaire sont développées. L'aide humanitaire comprend une myriade d'acteurs parmi lesquels on trouve les donateurs, les agences d'aide, les organisations non-gouvernementales (ONG), les gouvernements et les prestataires de service logistique. Dans ce contexte, la logistique représente 80% des activités, et est impliquée dans les trois phases du cycle de la gestion des catastrophes. Dans l'industrie, logistique est considéré comme une source d'avantage concurrentiel, expliquant les différences de performance entre les entreprises. Pour le contexte humanitaire, la logistique a la capacité d'assurer le succès des opérations, de contribuer à la stratégie d'une organisation et permet aux bénéficiaires et aux donateurs de distinguer une ONG d'une autre. Cela est possible grâce au développement des compétences et capacités logistiques organisationnelles. L'objectif de cette thèse est donc d'identifier ces compétences et capacités logistiques organisationnelles qui peuvent assurer le succès des opérations humanitaires. À travers d'une étude de cas unique effectuée au sein de MSF Logistique, la centrale d'achat et d'approvisionnement de Médecins Sans Frontières, cette thèse fournit la preuve du rôle stratégique que la logistique joue dans les activités de l'organisation et propose un modèle de compétences et capacités logistiques pour le contexte humanitaire. / Over the past years, the number of natural disasters reported has suffered a frightening increase all around the world. Even though the number of people reported killed has decreased on the last years, the number of people reported affected has augmented having a great impact in the relief operations undertaken. Humanitarian relief comprises a myriad of actors which include donors, aid agencies, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), governments and logistics providers. In this context, logistics accounts for 80% of the relief effort and is involved in all three of the disaster management phases. In industry, logistics is considered to be a source of competitive advantage, explaining the differences in performance among firms. Moving this to the humanitarian context, logistics has the capacity to ensure the success of the operations, to contribute to an organization's strategy, and allows beneficiaries and donors to distinguish an organization from another. This is only possible through the development of organizational logistics competences. The purpose of this thesis is thus to identify those organizational logistics competences and capabilities that can ensure the success of humanitarian relief operations. Through a single-embedded case study performed with MSF Logistique, the international logistics platform for Médecins Sans Frontières France, this thesis provides evidence of the strategic role that logistics plays in the organization's activities, and proposes a Logistics Capability and Competence Framework for Humanitarian Relief.

How can we understand the innovativeness of firms or organizations in general, and how should we assess it in terms of nontechnological innovation? My paper deals with these two questions. The “ability” of companies to adapt to new circumstances, to create new products, processes and new knowledge, has been conceptualized in many approaches. Some of them simply define a list of “(critical) success factors” or “(key) performance indica-tors”, as tools for ranking and evaluation, without any theoretical reference. Others, like the resource-based or capability-based approach(es), work with theoretical references, but are still very weak in operationalizing of what they call “capability”. My paper gives a critical description of this situation and offers a new proposal to classify and to measure the “inclination” of organizations to innovate in all dimensions. This proposal roots in pragmatistic thinking as represented in the theory of reflexive modernization and in the pragmatist version of organizational learning theory. Empirically, it has been applied merely in case studies yet. A survey project is in preparation.

How can we understand the innovativeness of firms or organizations in general, and how should we assess it in terms of nontechnological innovation? My paper deals with these two questions. The “ability” of companies to adapt to new circumstances, to create new products, processes and new knowledge, has been conceptualized in many approaches. Some of them simply define a list of “(critical) success factors” or “(key) performance indica-tors”, as tools for ranking and evaluation, without any theoretical reference. Others, like the resource-based or capability-based approach(es), work with theoretical references, but are still very weak in operationalizing of what they call “capability”. My paper gives a critical description of this situation and offers a new proposal to classify and to measure the “inclination” of organizations to innovate in all dimensions. This proposal roots in pragmatistic thinking as represented in the theory of reflexive modernization and in the pragmatist version of organizational learning theory. Empirically, it has been applied merely in case studies yet. A survey project is in preparation.