The role of nonhuman entities in institutional work: the case of the ocean in a surfing-centered local economy

Benjamin Taupin ()
Additional contact information
Benjamin Taupin: LIRSA - Laboratoire interdisciplinaire de recherche en sciences de l'action - CNAM - Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers [CNAM]

Post-Print from HAL

Abstract: This article examines the role played by a nonhuman entity, the Atlantic Ocean, in institutional work. It uses the results of an in-depth case study concerning the local economy of a surfing-focused seaside town in the southwest of France, where relations with the ocean have been modified by institutional work facilitated by extreme coastal erosion during winter storms in 2013-2014. This work, performed by the actors of the local economy-which include the ocean-aims to change the institutions of surfing, and local planning in a coastal town, by acting to influence the relation between this local economy and the ocean. The study involves a qualitative analysis of 32 interviews with stakeholders in the local surfing industry to identify the role played by a nonhuman entity in deliberate action to influence institutions. Mobilization of the theoretical framework of the anthropologist Philippe Descola concerning the types of relations between humans and nonhumans leads to 1) the suggestion that the nonhuman agency of natural elements should be included in consideration of institutional work, and 2) a reconsideration of the relational influence of the material dimension in organization and management theory.

Keywords: coastal erosion 584; surfing industry; materiality; institutional change; institutional work (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-02445318
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

Published in M@n@gement, 2019, 22, pp.584 - 618. ⟨10.3917/mana.224.0584⟩

Downloads: (external link)
https://hal.science/hal-02445318/document (application/pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-02445318

DOI: 10.3917/mana.224.0584

Access Statistics for this paper

More papers in Post-Print from HAL
Bibliographic data for series maintained by CCSD ().