How has the French cultural and institutional context shaped the organization of the Airbus Group?

Christoph Barmeyer and Ulrike Mayrhofer ()
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Christoph Barmeyer: Humanis - Hommes et management en société / Humans and management in society - UNISTRA - Université de Strasbourg - EM Strasbourg - École de Management de Strasbourg = EM Strasbourg Business School
Ulrike Mayrhofer: MAGELLAN - Laboratoire de Recherche Magellan - UJML - Université Jean Moulin - Lyon 3 - Université de Lyon - Institut d'Administration des Entreprises (IAE) - Lyon

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Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to examine whether characteristics of French organisations can be found in the Airbus Group, ancient EADS (European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company) group and how these characteristics have evolved over time in comparison to German ones. The article presents an in-depth case study by using a contextual approach, considering influential factors which are likely to influence the evolution of organizations. The analysis shows that the Airbus group reflects characteristics of French organisations: the importance of strategy, the principle of honour, centralization of decision and power, the role of the state in the capital and its influence via professional networks of its elite coming from the Grandes Ecoles. These findings confirm a relative continuity of national peculiarities over time. The recent evolution of the company also highlights the German influence, notably in terms of shares and management positions. The case-study demonstrates that Airbus Group has become a multinational company where contextual elements and organisational structures regulate intercultural relationships of interests, influence and power. Five contextual factors are proposed, which allow to understand and structure the peculiarities of French organisations in comparison to German ones as well as power distribution within the Airbus group.

Keywords: contextual analysis; Airbus Group; EADS; French management; societal contexts; Franco-German management; multinational companies; power relations; contextual analysis. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014-10-06
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

Published in International Journal of Organizational Analysis, 2014, 22 (4), pp.440-462

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-01071390

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