Defense of Radwan Mahmoud

«Water Under Siege: Navigating Paradoxical Tensions as Common-Pool Resources Turn Strategic».  

Supervised by Mette Knudsenand co-supervised Pilar Acosta

Defense scheduled for November 27, 2026, at 10 a.m., at the X-Novation Center, Amphitheater, École polytechnique, Avenue Coriolis, 91120 Palaiseau

Abstract: 

Water is both an essential production input for firms and a common-pool resource whose availability depends on collective governance. This dissertation examines the paradoxical tensions firms face when access depends on other users and the rules governing a shared resource. The first study draws on 42 interviews and identifies 26 paradoxes among 197 tensions. Ten show hybrid properties: in managers’ accounts, one action responds to demands from multiple categories that cannot be separated or sequenced. 

The second study combines the interviews with LLM-assisted semantic analysis of 197 sustainability documents from 28 firms. It identifies three navigation modes: compliance-anchored, compartmentalized, and basin integrated. 

The third study synthesizes 59 articles and develops the Strategic Commons construct: common-pool resources become strategically significant for firms when access and operational continuity can no longer be secured by firm-level action alone.

Key words: Strategic Commons, Common-Pool Resources, Hybrid Paradoxes, Collective Governance, Water Sustainability