Le travail de terrain s'est réalisé au cours de ces quinzes dernières années au sein du Groupe Mondragon au Pays basque espagnol, groupe qui constitue actuellement le plus grand réseau mondial d'entreprises coopératives. Ce groupe détient en plus deux particularités majeures. L'une étant de posséder un grand échantillon d'entreprises coopératives industrielles en concurrence à l'échelle mondiale avec de grandes multinationales. L'autre étant celle d'être constitué d'une très grande majorité d'entreprises coopératives aux mains de leurs travailleurs. Ce qu'on appelle couramment l'Expérience Coopérative de Mondragon est reconnue comme étant une expérience unique de plus de soixante ans d'existence. Notre question de recherche: Comment évolue dans un contexte actuel l'identité organisationnelle au sein du Groupe Mondragon?, est issue d'une problématique issue du terrain. Et c'est à partir d'une recherche-intervention sur deux cas d'entreprises coopératives industrielles que nous avons été amené à réfléchir sur l'évolution de l'identité organisationnelle au sein de ces deux coopératives et de là-même au sein du Groupe Mondragon dans son ensemble. / The field work has been carried out over the past fifteen years within the Mondragon Group in the Spanish Basque Country. Which is currently the world's largest network of cooperative enterprises. This group has also two major characteristics. One is to have a large sample of industrial cooperative enterprises competing globally with large multinationals. The other is that it consists of a very large majority of cooperative enterprises in the hands of their workers. What is commonly known as Mondragon Cooperative Experience is recognized as an unique experience of more than sixty years of existence. Our research question: How is the organizational identity evolving within the Mondragon Group in a current context?, is the result of a field issue. And it is on the basis of an intervention research on two cases of industrial cooperative enterprises that we were led to reflect on the evolution of the organizational identity within these two cooperatives and from there within the Mondragon Group as a whole. This consideration of the evolution of the organizational identity leads not only to consider the strategic directions chosen by the Group Mondragon but also the implemented policies of leadership and coaching to encourage the identification of the co-workers of Mondragon within their cooperatives. In this work, the researcher adopted a constructivist epistemology. He conducted a broad review of the literature on organizational identity in particular and its extensive nomological network.

Les associations contribuent à garder en vie les espaces de pluralisme indispensables à la démocratie. Un lien est établi entre vitalité associative et production de capital social, car les associations participent à la généralisation de la confiance, nécessaire au bon fonctionnement institutionnel et économique. Cependant, la notion de capital social se fonde sur des postulats discutables : l’un « déterministe » et l’autre « libéraliste ». Ainsi, à partir d’une réalité « complexe », celle de la Sicile, nous avons essayé de déconstruire ces a priori théoriques. Ceci afin d’utiliser la notion de capital social dans un cadre interprétatif plus ample qui, d’une part ne s’arrête pas à la seule analyse des interactions sociales au sein des réseaux mais prend en compte la nature spécifique de leur contexte. Et, d’autre part, puisse réintroduire les modalités d’interaction entre associations et pouvoirs publics ainsi que le rôle des institutions dans la production de capital social. / Non-profit organizations (NPO) help in keeping alive those pluralist places which are vital for democracy making processes. The link between the vitality of the voluntary sector and the production of social capital is established because NPO take an active part in the confidence spreading process which is necessary for smooth institutional and economic management. However, the concept of social capital is based on arguable postulates: a «determinist» and a «liberal» one. In the thesis, we have thus tried to deconstruct these theoretical a priori constructions in the complex reality of Sicily in order to use the concept of social capital in a wider interpretative framework. This interpretative framework is thus not limited to the exclusive analysis of social interactions within networks but takes into account the specific nature of their background. Hence, it is possible to re-introduce the modalities of interaction between NPO and authorities as well as the role of the institutions in the production of social capital.

La ricerca analizza l’evoluzione della vitivinicoltura nell’Oltrepò Pavese quale elemento caratterizzante il paesaggio di questo territorio. Tale settore produttivo risulta essere una delle principali attività svolte nell’area in esame e ne caratterizza l’economia, il paesaggio collinare, le tradizioni e le forme identitarie, specialmente nellla zona centro-orientale, ossia nei territori che gravitano sui centri urbani di Casteggio, Broni e Stradella. Il lavoro si propone di approfondire anzitutto la valorizzazione della tipicità e del locale, riassunti e rappresentati nel termine terroir, che indica l’insieme degli elementi geomorfologici, climatici, antropici e culturali che rendono unico un prodotto (in questo caso il vino), mettendo così il locale al centro di un’analisi che si può estendere poi a riflessioni di ordine generale. L’indagine geografica ha studiato gli aspetti ambientali e quelli antropici, nonché le loro relazioni. Si è fatto riferimento ai fattori geologici, pedologici e climatici, che altresì sono gli elementi imprescindibili degli studi di «zonazione» che si occupano proprio dell’interazione tra viticoltura e ambiente. L’indagine geostorica-territoriale si è rivolta soprattutto ai seguenti temi: il paesaggio vitivinicolo; i tipi di vitigni impiantati e i relativi sistemi di coltivazione; le produzioni e la commercializzazione del prodotto; la rappresentazione delle proprietà e del territorio attraverso i catasti. Inoltre si approfondiscono i temi geoeconomici sia a scala globale sia a scala locale, grazie alla rielaborazione delle informazioni relative al settore produttivo. Il contesto locale pertanto è confrontato con quello regionale, nazionale e globale, al fine di comprenderne i legami, soprattutto in relazione alle attuali sfide geoeconomiche. / In this thesis we analyse the evolution of grape growing and wine making as two of the elements which have contributed to the shaping of the landscape in the Oltrepò Pavese and represent two of the main economic activities of this geographic area, with is often identified with them – particularly in the mid-western part, i.e., the areas around the towns of Casteggio, Broni and Stradella. My main goal is to investigate the ways in which the values of locality and typicity – represented by the term terroir – are promoted. “Terroir” stands for, and comprises, a number of elements such as geo-morphological and climatic features, as well as human and cultural factors, all of which contribute to the uniqueness of a product like wine. My research thus starts from, and gives prominence to, the local level, in order to formulate a set of observations from which more general conclusions may then be drawn. The geographical investigation focusses on the environmental and human factors as well as their interrelationships. In its course, we refer to factors such as geology, pedology and climate, the crucial elements of all studies of «zoning», which describe precisely the complex interaction between grape growing and the environment. The geo-historical analysis concentrates especially on thematic areas such as the landscape; the varieties of grape that are planted and the respective growing techniques; the production and marketing of the produce; the ways in which property boundaries and the territory have been represented in land registries. The geo-economic factors, at both the local and global levels, are investigated through the analysis of the data from the production sector. The local context is thus compared to the regional, national and global ones in order to better understand the nature of their interactions and provide useful insights in relation to the challenges posed by the current geo-economic scenarios.

Les associations contribuent à garder en vie les espaces de pluralisme indispensables à la démocratie. Un lien est établi entre vitalité associative et production de capital social, car les associations participent à la généralisation de la confiance, nécessaire au bon fonctionnement institutionnel et économique. Cependant, la notion de capital social se fonde sur des postulats discutables : l’un « déterministe » et l’autre « libéraliste ». Ainsi, à partir d’une réalité « complexe », celle de la Sicile, nous avons essayé de déconstruire ces a priori théoriques. Ceci afin d’utiliser la notion de capital social dans un cadre interprétatif plus ample qui, d’une part ne s’arrête pas à la seule analyse des interactions sociales au sein des réseaux mais prend en compte la nature spécifique de leur contexte. Et, d’autre part, puisse réintroduire les modalités d’interaction entre associations et pouvoirs publics ainsi que le rôle des institutions dans la production de capital social. / Non-profit organizations (NPO) help in keeping alive those pluralist places which are vital for democracy making processes. The link between the vitality of the voluntary sector and the production of social capital is established because NPO take an active part in the confidence spreading process which is necessary for smooth institutional and economic management. However, the concept of social capital is based on arguable postulates: a «determinist» and a «liberal» one. In the thesis, we have thus tried to deconstruct these theoretical a priori constructions in the complex reality of Sicily in order to use the concept of social capital in a wider interpretative framework. This interpretative framework is thus not limited to the exclusive analysis of social interactions within networks but takes into account the specific nature of their background. Hence, it is possible to re-introduce the modalities of interaction between NPO and authorities as well as the role of the institutions in the production of social capital.

Bakgrund och problemdiskussion: Inom organisationer är vd:n ett hett och debatterat samtalsämne när det kommer till verksamhetsstyrning. Inom små till medelstora verksamheter är det inte ovanligt att ägaren är både ägare och vd för verksamheten, vilket betecknas som ett ägarlett företag. När ett företag går från ett ägarlett styre till en extern vd kan det ha en stor inverkan på verksamheten. Ett byte av vd innebär att en ny person kommer att bestämma hur verksamhetens styrning ska utformas och implementeras. Fortsättningsvis innebär det ett stort steg för ägaren när den ska frånsäga sin vd-position och lämna över till en extern vd. Det finns två olika teorier som förklarar relationen mellan ägare och vd. Agentteorin, som antar att människor agerar utifrån sitt eget intresse, och stewardshipteorin, som utgår från att människor agerar utifrån verksamhetens bästa. Syfte: Syftet med studien är att undersöka om verksamhetsstyrning förändras i samband med att en extern vd intar vd-rollen i ett tidigare ägarlett företag. Ytterligare kommer studien att undersöka hur ägaren och den externa vd:n ser på skiftet när en extern vd intar vd-rollen utifrån agentteorin och stewardship. Metod: Studien är en fallstudie som undersöker två företag som har genomgått ett skifte från ägarlett styre till externt styre. Denna studie kompletteras med inblick och erfarenhet från rekryterare inom högre befattningar. Studien utgår från en kvalitativ forskningsstrategi, med induktiva forskningsval som har abduktiva anslag. Det empiriska materialet har samlats in via sju stycken respondenter via semistrukturerade intervjuer. Slutsats: De slutsatser som kan dras från studien är att verksamhetsstyrningen förändras till att bli mer målstyrd när företaget går från ett ägarlett styre till att en extern person intar vd-rollen. Både ägare och vd från respektive verksamhet visar en skiftning av både opportunistiskt beteende och beteende som liknar en ‘steward’. Det innebär att det inte finns ett svart-vitt beteende avseende om individerna agerar efter sitt eget bästa eller efter verksamhetens bästa. Deras synsätt och agerande uppvisar en kombination av båda teorierna i samband med att verksamheten blir mer professionell, strategisk och målstyrd. / Background: Within organisations, the CEO is a well-known and debated subject when it comes to corporate governance in small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). When a company moves from an owner-led governance to an external CEO, it can have a major impact on the business. An alteration in the role of CEO would allow for a change in the governance of the business, through potential new individualistic implementations and structural decisions. Furthermore, it is a largely significant step for the owner to relinquish the position of CEO to an external individual. There are two different theories to explain the relationship between owners and CEOs. Agent theory, which assumes that people act in their own interest, and stewardship theory, which assumes that people act in the best interests of the business. Purpose: The purpose of the thesis is to investigate whether corporate governance changes when an external person is appointed CEO in a previously owner-managed company. Furthermore, this thesis will investigate how both the owner and the external CEO perceive the transition when the role of CEO is assigned to an external individual based on agent theory and stewardship theory. Method: The study is a case study examining two case companies that have experienced a shift from owner-led governance to external governance, along with the insight and experience of two senior recruiters. The study is based on a qualitative research strategy, with specific attention to inductive research choices and abductive approaches. The empirical material has been collected via semi-structured interviews and the involvement of seven respondents. Conclusion: The conclusion that can be drawn from the thesis is that the corporate governance changes and becomes more goal-oriented when an external person is the CEO. Both owners and CEOs from each business have a tendency towards both opportunistic and steward-like behavior. This means that there is no specific behavior regarding whether they act in their own best interests or in the best interests of the business. Their views and actions reflect a combination of both theories as the organisation becomes more professional, strategic and goal- oriented.

Ausgehend von der Feststellung, dass einerseits Innovationsprozesse in ländlichen Räumen wenig erforscht sind und andererseits das Wissen um die Innovationsfähigkeit ländlicher Akteure dringend erforderlich ist, um eine nachhaltige Transformation zu erreichen, beschäftigt sich diese Dissertation mit der Frage, wie soziale Innovationsprozesse in ländlichen Räumen funktionieren und gefördert werden können. Es wurden drei Studien erstellt, die sich der Beantwortung dieser Frage aus unterschiedlichen Perspektiven nähern. Beginnend mit dem Thema der nachhaltigen Zertifizierung von Ölpalmen-Kleinbauern in Indonesien, der Frage der Erhaltung und Schaffung ländlicher Infrastruktur in Deutschland und dem Thema der Energiewende und ihrer Förderung. Im Mittelpunkt aller Studien steht die Untersuchung kollektiven Handelns von mitgliederbasierten Organisationen, die als Sozialunternehmen im ländlichen Raum gegründet und betrieben werden. Zusammenfassend lässt sich feststellen, dass die Rolle von mitgliedschaftsbasierten Organisationen in ländlichen Gebieten die Untersuchung von sozialen Innovationsprozessen ermöglicht. Es konnten wichtige Merkmale und Prozesse sozialer Innovationsprozesse identifiziert werden, die nicht nur für die Förderung von mitgliederbasierten Organisationen, sondern auch für die Untersuchung nachhaltiger Transformationspfade vielversprechend sind. Die Dissertation schließt mit einer kritischen Diskussion über die Grenzen der Doktorarbeit, dem Bezug zu aktuellen wissenschaftlichen Debatten, einigen Governance Empfehlungen und einer Positionierung der Forscherin in ihrem Forschungsfeld. / Based on the observation that, on the one hand, innovation processes in rural areas have been little researched and, on the other hand, knowledge about the capacity for change of rural actors urgently needs to be taken into account to achieve sustainable transformation, this dissertation deals with the question of how social innovation processes in rural areas function and can be promoted. Three studies were conducted that approach the answer to this question from different perspectives. Starting with the issue of sustainable certification of oil palm smallholders in Indonesia, the issue of maintaining and establishing rural infrastructure in Germany, and the topic of the renewable energy transition and its promotion. At the heart of all studies is an examination of collective action by membership-based organizations established and operated as social enterprises in rural areas. In conclusion, the role of membership-based organisations in rural areas enables the study of social innovation processes. Important characteristics and processes of social innovation governance could be identified, which are promising not only for promoting membership-based organisations but also for studying sustainable transformation pathways. The thesis concludes with a critical discussion about the limitations of the doctoral thesis, the reference to current scientific debates, some governance recommendations, and the researcher's positioning in his research field.