La résolution d'un grand défi au sein d'un organisme de recherche : Tensions, co-construction et leadership dans la recherche publique

Focusing on a public research organization committed to addressing a major challenge—the integration of climate and environmental transition with issues of food, agriculture, and ecology—our study is based on 50 interviews (including 21 with research unit or research support directors and 29 with other staff members from these 21 units) to analyze the tensions and contradictions that arise within the organization and its institutional environment. Our findings reveal the inherent organizational complexity involved in tackling this major challenge and highlight the multiple dynamics that permeate the daily activities of the organization. Far from hindering collective action, the identified tensions prove to be productive: they are transcended through organizational mechanisms that promote dialogue, co-construction, and collective intelligence. This study also offers renewed insights into the role of research unit directors, emphasizing the importance of servant leadership oriented towards the collective to support the daily resolution of major systemic challenges.