This case study looks at the lived experiences of workers, within a manufacturing plant in southern Quebec, undergoing a liberation management transformation. Using the qualitative approach, semi-directed interviews were held as well as non-participant observation and documentation analysis. In total, 18 people were interviewed, recruited on a voluntary basis, and coming from different sectors of the business with a diversity in age, experience and gender. The data collected allowed for a deeper understanding of the advantages, obstacles, expectations, and limitations faced by the workers and the management team (known as coaches). The liberation transformation was not an easy road but one that enabled workers to experience a sense of freedom, purpose and belonging. Using Self-Determination as a theoretical lens, it was clear that all three components of the theory (autonomy, competency and relatedness) were at the heart of the liberation process, yet a gap remained to grasp the complexity of the transformation. The paradox perspective was mobilized to enrich the understanding of the phenomena and inspired the design of a conceptual model. Well-being and financial performance are seen as by-products of this type of organizational form which makes its study even more relevant. Practitioners can benefit from a liberation process, yet this type of culture requires a major mental shift, including unlearning behaviors, solid communication, trusting relationships and ongoing training, especially in soft skills, to ensure a smoother transition from traditional management practices. Freedom is one part of the liberation process, but it is not enough in itself. An ability to embrace the paradoxes of freedom and the tensions it generates is fundamental. Finally, trust needs to remain at the core of the initiative, otherwise the risk of manipulation is inherent.

Le déploiement d’un système informatique de type PLM assure, pour les entreprises du secteur agroalimentaire, une amélioration du pilotage du développement de leurs produits et de leurs projets. Toutefois, un projet de ce type reste structurant pour les organisations et peut être parfois mal perçu dans une entreprise dite « libérée », à la structure organisationnelle déhiérarchisée et avec des acteurs ayant la sensation d’avoir une grande autonomie dans leurs activités. Cette thèse présente une démarche pour accompagner les projets de déploiement de solution PLM dans de telles entreprises. Après avoir décrit l’ensemble des phases et des activités de la démarche nous mettons en évidence l’importance du rapport humain, de l’échange et de la pédagogie avec l’ensemble des acteurs dès le départ du projet de déploiement en vue de l’acception de l’outil. Ceci nous conduit à faire évoluer les approches classiques de déploiement, en particulier au cours de la phase d’analyse des besoins préliminaires à l’implémentation d’une solution PLM. Notre contribution se place dans une dynamique de recherche d’amélioration de la définition des modèles de processus, de produit et d’organisation en vue de l’implémentation d’une solution PLM dans le cadre d’une entreprise « libérée ». Cette démarche a été construite et mise en oeuvre dans le cadre d’une collaboration avec le groupe industriel biscuitier Poult, les résultats de ce cas d’étude réel sont aussi présentés dans ce manuscrit. / Deployment of a PLM solution in companies of the agri-food sector improves management of their products and projects of development. However, this type of project remains structuring for the organizations and can sometimes be badly perceived in a freedom-form company, with the non-hierarchized organizational structure and with actors feel to have a great autonomy in their activities. This thesis presents an approach to support PLM solution deployment projects in such companies. After describing all the phases and activities of our approach, we highlight the importance of the human relationship, the exchange and the "explanation" with all the actors from the start of the deployment project to favor acceptance of the PLM software tool. This leads us to evolve traditional deployment approaches, especially during the analysis of needs phase prior to the implementation of a PLM solution. Our contribution is placed in a dynamic of research of improvement of process, product and organization models to implement a PLM in a freedom-form company. This approach was built and implemented as part of a collaboration with the Poult biscuit industrial group, results of this real case study are also presented in this manuscript.