The dynamics of secrecy management in open innovation. The case of the defense industry Managing collectively a complex problem on a planetary scale? The case of space debris

Thesis defended on the 8 th of December 2022 at 2:00 pm and it took place at Ministère de l’Enseignement Supérieur et de la Recherche,  Salle L202, 1 rue Descartes 75005, Paris

Abstract:

Complex problems on a planetary scale, or grand challenges, present a difficulty in organizing collective action, given their complexity, their multidimensionality and the heterogeneity of stakeholders, whose interests diverge. This thesis questions the way involved actors deal with this type of empirical situation.

To answer this question, the research carried out focuses on the case of space debris, whose proliferation on Earth’s orbits threatens the pursuit of space activities. The use of a flexible research design is necessary to study this unique and complex case, along different levels of analysis and by means of complementary methodological approaches. Methods such as management scenarios, discourse analysis and case studies of a sector, a firm, or a recurring scientific event have been employed. The articulation of narration and description helps to highlight various dimensions of the problem which may be treated from the point of view of regulation, the market, or the common goods.

These dimensions have been explored throughout the thesis and reveal several sets of results. First, the management of the problem is based on the establishment of a polycentric regulation system, organized around several centers, which are producing a wide array of rules and are driven by the circulation of norms and individuals. Secondly, the proliferation of space debris is giving rise to the emergence of a new market for collective concerns. This is leading to the implementation of different strategies by players as well as a dynamic interplay between several market categories. Third, the community of experts, called “global commoners” because of the emotionally driven relationship they have with the problem, plays a central role. This is particularly the case in the production of knowledge and its consequent diffusion. Finally, this knowledge is at the heart of the organization of collective action and aims to guide the behavior of actors in various ways. These results have made it possible to identify “global commoning” as a new way of managing complex problems on a planetary scale.

This doctoral work contributes to the theory of the commons by specifying the modes of coordination of polycentrism and by transposing the notion of commoning on a global scale; it contributes to research on grand challenges by emphasizing the importance of individuals’ emotions.

Keywords: grand challenges ; global commons; polycentric governance; market fashioning;

commoning; space sustainability

Composition du jury :