Having received considerable attention from central government and local authorities, French innovation clusters (the so-called 'pôles de compétitivité') are beginning to be studied by academic researchers and evaluated by consultants. The core of their activity consists of collaborative projects, which are characterised by specific management and HR practices located at the junction of different cultures and employment statuses. Almost four years after they were launched, what can we say about the dynamic of these collaborative projects? What is the reality of such collaboration when it involves multiple partnerships bringing together employees from different occupational cultures and HRM systems? The aim of this longitudinal research, which is based on observation of two collaborative projects in one of the most largest clusters in France,is to discuss management and HR issues in such a setting. A literature review highlights the need to open up the 'black box' of collaboration within projects and encourages examination of both manager's coordination efforts and the actors' motivation to cooperate, as well as the role played by HRM practices. Thus observation of the conduct of the projects over two years reveals that collaboration, far from being a given within these projects, is the product of a process of social construction that might be fostered by better managerial support.
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to discuss the relation between human resource management (HRM) and innovation in small to medium size enterprises (SMEs) through gift/counter-gift exchanges.
Design/methodology/approach
Using the theory of the gift/counter-gift, the authors study the case of a French SME, specifically, a technological innovation project developed from 2013 to 2016. The authors structure the data and create a model using the Gioia method.
Findings
The results reveal that the logic of giving evolves in three key stages: freeing up gifts, mobilizing gifts and rethinking gifts.
Originality/value
These stages highlight the importance of an enabling organizational environment, gift/counter-gift relationships and the role of a number of HRM practices.
Résumé Les pôles de compétitivité français existent depuis 5 ans et font travailler ensemble des salariés d’organismes différents. Ont-ils créé pour cela des dispositifs de GRH en rupture avec les outils traditionnels de la fonction ? Cette recherche se donne pour objectif de répondre à cette question en s’appuyant sur un contrat de recherche, financé par la région Rhône-Alpes, dont l’objectif est de recenser et de soutenir le développement des actions RH au sein des pôles du territoire rhônalpin sur la période 2009-2010. Après un bref appel des apports des précédentes recherches dédiées aux pôles et la présentation de notre problématique (1), nous exposerons quelles ont été les observations réalisées, en caractérisant les dispositifs RH selon l’horizon temporel de l’impact majeur attendu et selon le niveau d’intervention privilégié, ainsi qu’en proposant un schéma de synthèse (2). La diversité des dispositifs recensés, tant entre les pôles qu’en leur sein, sera ensuite soulignée, avant de discuter enfin de la réalité de cette « rupture » par rapport à la GRH traditionnelle (3).
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