Coordination Practices in Extreme Situations

Isabelle Bouty, Cécile Godé (), Carole Drucker-Godard, Pascal Lièvre, Jean Nizet and François Pichault
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Isabelle Bouty: DRM - Dauphine Recherches en Management - Université Paris Dauphine-PSL - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
Cécile Godé: ISH - Institut des Sciences de l'Homme - ENS de Lyon - École normale supérieure de Lyon - Université de Lyon - UL2 - Université Lumière - Lyon 2 - UJML - Université Jean Moulin - Lyon 3 - Université de Lyon - UJM - Université Jean Monnet - Saint-Étienne - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
Carole Drucker-Godard: CEROS - Centre d'Etudes et de Recherches sur les Organisations et la Stratégie - UPN - Université Paris Nanterre
Pascal Lièvre: CRCGM - Centre de Recherche Clermontois en Gestion et Management - UdA - Université d'Auvergne - Clermont-Ferrand I - ESC Clermont-Ferrand - École Supérieure de Commerce (ESC) - Clermont-Ferrand
Jean Nizet: UCL - Université Catholique de Louvain = Catholic University of Louvain
François Pichault: Centre d'Étude de la Performance des Entreprises - HEC École de Gestion de l'Université de Liège

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Abstract: Summary This article addresses coordination practices in extreme situations. Whereas past literature has heavily focused on a structural and contingent approach of the phenomena, we argue that a practice-based approach of coordination fruitfully enhances our understanding. We draw on an abductive approach and perform a systematic comparative analysis of four case studies: the crew of a sailing boat engaged in a race, military air and ground forces in theater, medical staff in a neonatology unit and a polar expedition confronted with polar bears. We outline highly heterogeneous coordination practices along four dimensions (formalization, verticality, openness, and specificity). Our results lead to invalidate both a configurational and a contingent perspective on coordination. We show that despite high heterogeneity, these four attributes represent a useful framework for managers to leverage coordination practices produced in situ.

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Date: 2012-12
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (10)

Published in European Management Journal, 2012, 30 (6), pp.475--489. ⟨10.1016/j.emj.2012.03.015⟩

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-01625226

DOI: 10.1016/j.emj.2012.03.015

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