[Invited Article] International Studies of Management & Organization, 2004/2005, vol. 34, n° 4, pp. 131-136.

In this invited comment, I suggest an evolutionary alternative to the decoupling hypothesis offered by Lee and Lounsbury in their article. They observe variation in practices of national finance institutions and believe this variation can be explained by a decoupling between symbolic conformity and substantive operations. In contrast, I suggest that through an evolutionary perspective,

[Refereed Communication] Workshop on Diversity, Bologna, 12-13 July 2004.

Whereas most research on diversity has looked at creation, I’m focusing here on diversity as resulting from the persistence of unfit, or less-fit, organizational forms. My purpose is to explore the following apparent paradox. Although consistent selection pressure should lead to shrinking diversity and eventually to survival of the fittest forms, in many empirical settings, unfit forms do persist, allowing for a

[Refereed Communication] EGOS (European Group for Organization Studies) 19th Colloquium, Copenhagen, 3-5 July 2003, with Isabelle Royer and Filippo Carlo Wezel.

This paper investigates the coevolutionary dynamics taking place within organizational communities. Using an ecological framework, we shed light on the existence of diverse coevolutionary feedbacks unfolding both within and between populations. Hypotheses are supported by simultaneous equations, estimated using archival data describing

[Refereed Book Chapter] in Sandra Charreire et Isabelle Huault (eds.), 2002, Les grands auteurs en management, Caen : Editions EMS, pp. 67-79.

La contribution d’Howard Aldrich à la théorie des organisations ne saurait être surestimée. Il a en effet joué un rôle pionnier pour deux apports majeurs à la théorie des organisations : l’écologie des populations et l’évolutionnisme. Ces deux thèmes, qui ont fait l'objet d'un ouvrage de référence chacun : Organizations and Environments (1979) et

[Refereed Communication] Strategic Management Society 22nd Conference, Paris, 22-25 September 2002, with Gino Cattani, Isabelle Royer, and Filippo Carlo Wezel.

Research on technological change has documented how entrants tend to outperform incumbents. Yet, an academic agreement is lacking regarding which organizations are responsible for innovations and what are the long-term consequences of technological progress for the demographic composition of populations. We believe that this question

[Refereed Communication] EGOS (European Group for Organization Studies) 18th Colloquium, Barcelona, 4-6 July 2002, with Gino Cattani, Isabelle Royer, and Filippo Carlo Wezel.

The dynamic capabilities view has recently emphasized how under dynamic conditions of competition successful adaptation critically hinges upon the ability to innovate. Instead of simply defending a favorable position, firms are expected to consistently introduce new products and/or renew existing processes. Drawing from

[Refereed Communication] Strategy World Congress, Oxford, 18-19 March 2002, with El-Bekkay Essabar.

To achieve sustained strategic competitiveness, companies have to take into account three components: adapt to the environment, and try to mold it; choose the right strategic positioning, and make sure their resources, competencies and capabilities evolve with the environment. A study of the French newspaper industry since WWII shows that successful companies constantly transform themselves