EGOS 2001
Corbel, P. « EDF’s History: Strength or Weakness for the Future », presented at the 17th EGOS (European Group for Organization Studies) Colloquium, Lyon, July 2001
Abstract :
This paper aims at analysing the problem of organizational inertia in front of changes in the environment through the study of the history of a fifty-five year old firm : Electricité de France (EDF). The main factors highlighted by existing theories in terms of routines, structure rigidities, culture, accumulation of specific competences or sunk costs will be examined in this specific case. This study shows that EDF has always succeeded in adapting itself to environmental changes as long as these changes were not in frontal opposition to these different elements, which is partially the case today.