Translocation programmes, particularly when using the release of a captive reared population, often fail in their efforts to create a self-sustaining population. High mortality after release is a key issue and often associated with behavioural, physiological and cognitive deficiencies between the released population and their wild counterparts. Mitigation of these deficiencies is essential for successful translocation programmes. I showed that pheasants (Phasianus colchicus) that were reared in more naturalistic conditions early in life were better suited to the natural environment after they were released into the wild. Post release survival was improved with exposure to more naturalistic diets prior to release. We identified four mechanisms to explain this. Pheasants reared with more naturalistic diets: 1) foraged for less time and had a higher likelihood of performing vigilance behaviours; 2) were quicker at handling live prey items; 3) were less reliant on supplementary feed which could be withdrawn; 4) developed different gut morphology. Consequently birds reduced the risk of predation by reducing exposure time whilst foraging, while allowing more time to be vigilant, were better at handling and discriminating natural food items and not solely reliant on supplementary feed and had a better gut system to cope with the natural forage. Post release survival was also improved when pheasants were reared with access to perches. We identified three mechanisms to explain this. Pheasants reared with access to perches had: 1) a physiology to better enable the birds to fly to the higher branches and cope with prolonged roosting; 2) a higher propensity to roost off the ground at night; and 3) more accurate spatial memory. Consequently, birds were at a reduced risk of terrestrial predation by roosting at night, and accurately remember their new environment upon release. I also showed that these manipulations did not compromise the welfare of the individuals prior to release, as often feared when trying to create a naturalistic environment to a captive population. An additional mechanism that can affect the success of a translocation programmes, operating at the level of the population, considers the optimality of the mixture of released individuals that can influence a release programme. The personality of birds within a released population, tested prior to release into the wild, influenced their fate and dispersal. I suggest a number of release mechanisms that would aid the survival of a diverse range of behavioural types that are essential for the production of a self-sustaining population in a fluctuating environment. I showed that harem size is strongly influenced by the vigilance behaviour of its constituent members. Despite a shared interest in increasing harem size, their optimal size is influenced by trade-offs in individual vigilance behaviour, resulting in relatively small harems, perhaps leading to females associating with less preferred males, and males being surrounded by fewer females than they could mate with. The aim of this study was to provide the background to future work trying to promote developments to allow for better reproductive success. I finally discussed these results and how they add to the current knowledge of captive-rearing and release, and examine the wider implications of my results from the pheasant rearing system for reintroduction biology. I calculate the likely costs of interventions and extrapolated the potential economic and environmental benefits of implementing changes to the current methods of rearing.

Les mutations de l’organisation du travail, et de la place de l’Homme dans l’entreprise ont mené, au cours de trois années de recherches-interventions socio-économique au sein d’une PME, à étudier l’objet complexe et dynamique que représente l’articulation entre les compétences individuelles et collectives à la stratégie de l’entreprise. Cette recherche a pour objet l’étude d’une des composantes du potentiel humain, les compétences, dans leurs dimensions individuelles et collectives, mises en œuvre au niveau de la stratégie de l’entreprise. Elle questionne notamment la mobilisation de l’ensemble des acteurs de l’entreprise ainsi que la mise en adéquation entre des objectifs stratégiques définis et les moyens alloués à leur mise en œuvre. Après avoir mis en exergue les impacts sociaux et économiques des défauts d’articulation entre compétences et stratégie, ces résultats sont discutés et analysés au regard de la littérature. Puis, la thèse présente les outils et processus expérimentés, qui ont permis d’améliorer l’articulation entre compétences individuelles et collectives à la stratégie de l’entreprise. Mobilisant en particulier le concept d’Investissement Immatériel en Développement Qualitatif du Potentiel Humain, la thèse souligne la contribution stratégique, à la fois en termes sociaux et économiques, des ressources humaines à la mise en œuvre stratégique et à la performance globale de l’entreprise. / The changes in the work organization, and the place of human beings in the companies led, during three years of socio-economic intervention-research within an SME, to study the complex and dynamic object that represents the articulation between the individual and collective competencies to the strategy of the company.The purpose of the thesis is to study one of the components of human potential, the competencies, in their individual and collective dimensions, implemented at the level of the company's strategy. In particular, it questions the mobilization of all the company's stakeholders as well as the alignment between the defined strategic objectives and the resources allocated to their implementation.Following an emphasis on the social and economic impacts of the lack of articulation between competencies and strategy, these results are discussed and analyzed in relation to the literature. Then, the thesis presents tools and processes experimented in order to improve this articulation between individual and collective competencies to the company's strategy.Mobilizing in particular the concept of Intangible Investment in Qualitative Development of Human Potential, the thesis highlights the strategic contribution, both in social and economic terms, of human resources to the strategic implementation and the overall performance of the company.