Turbulence in the Watchmaking Field: A Socioecological Approach to Strategizing

The Swiss Watchmaking Field is again entering a period of turbulence (Emery and Trist 1965) due to regulatory changes, the emergence of connected devices, volatile consumer behavior, currency changes, and relations among these factors that may challenge the capabilities for adaptation of key firms. Ramirez and Selsky (2014) suggested that in turbulent environments, a socio-ecological strategy approach emphasizing collaboration at a field level rather than competition is advisable. Based on multiple case study research, we empirically examine the application of contrasting strategic stances and principles comparing competitive strategy with the socio-ecological approach. We assess the presence of the transition, heterogeneity and subjectivity principles and how a coopetition strategic stance fares in the context of the Swiss Watchmaking Industry. We conclude by exploring new research venues

Independent luxury: the four innovation strategies to endure in the consolidation jungle

In recent years, luxury brands have deviated from the principles of craftsmanship, rarity, uniqueness and heritage. Conglomerates such as LVMH and Richemont have grown at an unprecedented pace and show no sign of slowing. This book explains the importance of innovation and argues why independent brands are vital to the survival of the industry

Right on Time – Socio-Ecological Strategy and Implications of Turbulence in the Swiss Watchmaking Field

We explore how the socio-ecological approach to strategy extends and enriches current theory on fields (especially Fligstein and McAdam, 2012). We do so with a socio-ecological (Ramirez and Selsky, 2016) lens which helps us analyse how contention and change work in conditions of turbulence, conditions where macro-level issues play a central role in transforming a field. Our empirical exploration of the Swiss watchmaking field in its current turbulent causal texture enables us to examine the locus of strategic action (intra-field vs inter-field) by both incumbents and challengers, and how they enact the strategic stances of preparation, relocating and reinventing collaboration. With this lens we also analyse the roles a legacy technology can play in the framing-reframing contention, where incumbents favour an ‘intra-field’ framing (i.e. centred in the legacy technology) whereas challengers favour an ‘inter-field’ reframing (i.e. open to emerging technologies). Our research further contributes to the literature by providing a clarification of the Ramirez and Selsky (2016) strategic stances in relation to its core unit of analysis: field-level vs organizational-level vs inter-organizational network level and does so with empirical data

Photopolymerizable Synthons from Glycerol Derivatives

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Undecylenic acid: A tunable bio-based synthon for materials applications

International audienceAn undecylenic acid-based monoglyceride prepared from glycidol and undecylenic acid is used as suitable and tunable synthon for polymerization applications. Epoxidation and acrylation reactions lead to photopolymerizable monomers while transesterification with dimethyl carbonate, metathesis and aminolysis reactions provide access to polyhydroxyurethane-based materials. The successive intermediates were synthesized according to a green chemistry approach implicating solvent-less and catalyzed reactions, and were at each step fully characterized by infrared, 1H and 13C{1H} NMR spectroscopy, elemental analysis and mass spectrometry. Analyses of the resulting polymer materials were performed by infrared, 1H and 13C{1H} NMR, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and gel permeation chromatography (GPC)

Efficient microwave-assisted synthesis of glycerol monodecanoate

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