M@n@gement

Designing a Creative Heritage for a Deep-Tech Start-Up in the Scale-Up Phase

2026-06-26T20:47:36+00:00

The prospect of solving ‘grand challenges’ through technological innovation justifies the interest shown in deep-tech start-ups. These companies develop technological solutions, which they then seek to implement on a massive scale during their scale-up phase. They nevertheless encounter difficulties at this stage, which starts with the validation of their business model. This research supplements the results reported in the literature on business models in the scale-up phase, with a design-oriented approach, which is better suited to the case of technology companies. Based on intervention research carried out in an urban agriculture deep-tech start-up, an axiomatic design tool is used to highlight the importance of distinguishing between the validation of elements of the business model and their preservation. This ensures that the deep-tech start-up’s subsequent developments are aligned with the goals of resolving major challenges.

Crafting Recruitment as a Watershed Moment for Early Inclusion

2026-06-26T20:47:35+00:00

Building inclusive workplaces remains a major challenge for contemporary organizations. Human resource management (HRM) is increasingly called upon to play a role in fostering inclusion, particularly through recruitment practices that aim to improve access for underrepresented groups. Yet, most approaches focus on recruitment outcomes related to fairness and diversity, often overlooking whether and how inclusion can be experienced during the hiring process. This paper examines the case of Team Jolokia, a French non-profit organization that has assembled unconventional ocean racing crews since 2012, with the goal of demonstrating that diversity can be a source of performance. The initiative, widely covered in the media and supported by institutional partners and corporate sponsors, has gained visibility and sparked interest from major companies. Drawing on an abductive qualitative study, we examine Team Jolokia’s recruitment process, which we analyse as a sequence of interconnected stages (sourcing, application, assessment and selection). While initially designed to foster diversity, this process also gives rise to an early sense of inclusion among selected candidates. Our findings thus highlight the experiential dimension of recruitment, which can contribute to meeting individuals’ needs for both uniqueness and belongingness. Building on this insight, we propose a relational and integrative view of inclusive recruitment, grounded in a human-centred philosophy, that challenges the conception of people as resources. This philosophy is articulated through five mutually reinforcing principles: ‘anyone can apply’, ‘everyone has skills’, ‘social skills come first’, ‘vulnerability is not a problem’ and ‘fit with the mission and values is key’. Together, they serve as inclusive heuristics, forming a generative compass that can help organizations rethink recruitment as an inclusive experience.

Playful learning as a driver of intersubjective sensemaking in management education

2026-06-26T20:47:34+00:00

Sensemaking constitutes a central component of managerial work and, as such, represents a key issue for management education. This study examines a playful pedagogical device implemented in a strategic management course. It draws on a qualitative analysis combining in situ observations, semi-structured interviews, and reflective reports. The findings show that this device stimulates intersubjective sensemaking through dynamics of self-expression, discussion of representations, and construction of shared understanding. Four complementary dimensions underpin this process: a structuring yet open framework, a close instructor–student relationship, grounding in students’ representations and experiences, and mediation through playful and creative materials. These dimensions generate and sustain, to varying degrees, both surprise and ambiguity, while contributing to the establishment of a climate of trust. This tension between destabilization and reassurance appears central to students’ engagement in intersubjective sensemaking within teams. This study contributes to a better understanding of the conditions under which intersubjective sensemaking emerges in a playful learning context. It also offers practical implications for instructors and higher education institutions.