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GÉRER & COMPRENDRE English language online edition 2018 - N° 3 A SERIES OF ANNALES DES MINES Published with the support YEAR 2018 - N° 3 FONDFOUNDEDÉES EN IN 1794 1794 of the Institut Mines Télécom 03 34 What strategies for subcontractors faced Crowdsourcing: Questioning and questions with a reconfigured value chain? The fine about the crowd jewelry business in France Sophie Renault, Colette Depeyre, Institut d’Administration des Entreprises, SOMMAIRE Senior lecturer Paris-Dauphine University, PSL Laboratoire Vallorem, Orleans University Research University, CNRS, UMR 7088, DRM; [French version: September 2017 - n°129] Emmanuelle Rigaud, Professor, NEOMA Business School, and associate researcher, i3-CRG 45 École Polytechnique-CNRS-Paris Saclay Between noise and silence, engineering a University; dialog about work: Maintenance projects in & Fabien Seraidarian, Mazars, associate researcher, i3-CRG École a high-risk industry Polytechnique-CNRS-Paris Saclay University. Mathieu Detchessahar, [French version: March 2017 - n°127] Stéphanie Gentil, Anouk Grevin 14 & Benoît Journé, Nantes University (IAE ‒ LEMNA, Laboratoire The liberated firm, a radical innovation or a d’Économie et de Management de Nantes) mere avatar of participatory management? [French version: December 2017 - n°130] Patrick Gilbert, Professor, IAE Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne 56 (Sorbonne Business School); Ann-Charlotte Teglborg, Supplely regulating nuclear risks: The Research professor, Novancia Business School origins of a French exception (1960-1985) Paris, researcher affiliated with Gregor, IAE Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne (Sorbonne Business Michaël Mangeon, School) & visiting researcher at the University Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire College of London-IOE; (IRSN) and Mines ParisTech, PSL Research & Nathalie Raulet-Croset, University, Centre de Gestion Scientifique, i3 Senior lecturer, IAE Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne UMR CNRS; (Sorbonne Business School) and researcher, I3- & Frédérique Pallez, CRG École Polytechnique Mines ParisTech, PSL Research University, Centre de Gestion Scientifique, i3 UMR CNRS [French version: March 2017 - n°127] [French version: December 2017 - n°130] 24 The Salindres chemical factory (1854-1880): Off to a start in a hostile environment Marie-Claire Loison, Assistant professor, EMLyon Business School, OCE Research Center; & Oussama Ouriemmi, Associate professor, ISG International Business School, GrIIsG [French version: March 2017 - n°127] 2 GÉRER & COMPRENDRE - ENGLISH LANGUAGE ONLINE EDITION - 2018 - N° 3 What strategies for subcontractors faced with a reconfigured value chain? The fine jewelry business in France Colette Depeyre, Senior lecturer Paris-Dauphine University, PSL Research University, CNRS, UMR 7088, DRM; Emmanuelle Rigaud, Professor, NEOMA Business School, and associate researcher, i3-CRG École Polytechnique-CNRS-Paris Saclay University; & Fabien Seraidarian, Mazars, associate researcher, i3-CRG École Polytechnique-CNRS-Paris Saclay University. [French version: March 2017 - n°127] Actions from players who are trying to dominate the process of value creation often punctuate the revamping of the value chain in an industry. But what about businesses in a much more subordinate position in the chain? What strategies guide how they reposition themselves in the market? The patterns whereby French subcontractors in the jewelry business have adapted are described. As changes in the luxury goods business are forcing them to raise questions about their position in this value chain, subcontractors must cope with a series of organizational and strategic tensions. As a function of their range of action, degree of autonomy, know-how and relations with their principals, four types of adaptation have been identified: safeguarding, specialization, cooperation and “coopetition”. They evince a diversity of strategic options in situations where ideas might have become fixated. Colette DEPEYRE, Emmanuelle RIGAUD and Fabien SERAIDARIAN he luxury goods business has, since the 1980s, However this trend in the fine arts and crafts toward a been deeply restructured in line with the interna- globalized, financiered business has spurred tensions tionalization of supply and demand. The vector (DEPEYRE & SERAIDARIAN 2015): the scarcity of Tof this restructuring in France has been the emergence resources, skills and know-how (BOUTON et al. 2015); of big international groups (CHATRIOT 2007), whose changes in production that industrialize craftworkers’ brands tend to set the tone for business strategies in know-how (AGOGUÉ & NAINVILLE 2010); the this branch of the economy (BASTIEN & KAPFERER access to short- and long-term funding; trends in the 2012).(1) international supply of luxury goods; societal issues; etc. The momentum of growth is redesigning value (1) The author would like to thank the two anonymous reviewers chains: changes in the relations between brands and and the participants in the AEGIS writers’ workshop and the fourth subcontractors; the delocalization of (some) activities; workshop of the engineering school Politecnico di Milano on the the disappearance or absorption of independent luxury goods industry. Their remarks and suggestions have been craftworkers; and the concentration of subcontractors. precious. This article, including quotations from French sources, has been translated from French by Noal Mellott (Omaha Beach, For example, in situations where craftworkers used France). The translation has, with the editor’s approval, completed to have a hold over the whole value chain, they now a few bibliographical references. have to cooperate with other economic agents in order GÉRER & COMPRENDRE - ENGLISH LANGUAGE ONLINE EDITION - 2018 - N° 3 3 to have access to raw materials, design products is typical of questions related to business strategies, appreciated by clients, gain admission to distribution since the latter require a focus, both broad and precise, networks in France and abroad, or take account of new on what is happening outside and inside the business environmental and societal requirements. organization. The changes in activities along value chains in the A first series of issues has to do with the quality of the luxury goods business raise questions about the ability integration of agents in their economic, technological of economic agents to stake out positions in this new and social environment (the macroeconomic level), i.e., business-scape. Evidence of this is the appointment with factors related to the “evolutionary fit” (HELFAT et in 2011 of a strategic committee for the fashion and al. 2007). For example, developments in new energy luxury goods industries under the Ministry of Industry sources and environmental requirements are affecting in France (LEPERCHEY 2013). Studies conducted in the automobile industry’s value chain. As for the other branches of the economy, such as automobiles luxury goods business, in particular fine jewelry, the or computers, have shed light on what is at stake in globalization of supply and demand since the 1980s has the branch’s adaptation to trends in “value dynamics” had an impact on it. While the growth of international (BALDWIN & CLARK 2000, JACOBIDES & TAE 2015, demand opens opportunities, it also requires many JACOBIDES et al. 2016). Faced with deep changes an adaptation to cope with demand cycles in different in their branch, businesses have several means of countries, to ensure a quality supply of raw materials or OVERLOOKED... action, for example: develop a distinctive strategic to maintain a distinctive value on a globalized market. position, guarantee quality, focus on “customer value” Growing markets also necessitate knowing how to or create new opportunities for growth (JACOBIDES & accomplish the work of craftsmanship on a larger scale. MacDUFFIE 2013). However these means reflect the To respond to these issues, big groups have formed strategies of the players who are seeking to dominate in the luxury goods business. For subcontractors of and control value creation in the branch. What about a smaller size however, dealing with this globalized the players who do not pursue objectives of this sort? environment is a factor that, as it destabilizes their They are not lacking in means (DONADA & DOSTALER activities and capacities, forces them to restructure. 2005). But what criteria will guide them as they redefine A second set of issues has to do with how activities their position on the value chain? are distributed among economic agents on the value Herein, we shall inquire into the ways that French chain, in other words both between the principals who subcontractors in the fine jewelry business are adapting pass orders and their subcontractors and between as their sector is being restructured owing, in particular, subcontractors themselves (the interorganizational to the actions of the principals who pass orders for level). The value chain is being reworked through the their services. After describing the organizational and relations established between the many parties who strategic tensions arising in this context, we shall draw enter into the individual and global (i.e., at the chain information from semidirective interviews in order to level) creation of value. These relations take various explore how these subcontractors have adapted. Four forms. They might be purely transactional or might be types of adaptation are identified as a function of a cooperative (HEIDE & JOHN 1990); and they might subcontractor’s range of action, autonomy, know-how vary