Research Note: Asterix in Disneyland. Management Scholars from France on the World Stage

Organization Studies, Winter, 1998 by Lars Engwall

The comparison between the French-based and the Nordic scholars thus indicates that the structural characteristics of the publication and citation behaviour of the two groups is rather similar. However, when it comes to the orientation of the articles there are differences. This emerges from an analysis of the journals where they publish most, the most frequent words, and the most cited documents. The French appear to be more oriented towards strategic management and tend to hold a more rational view of the decision maker than their Nordic colleagues. The latter seem to be more inclined to question rationality in decision-making, and also show more interest in accounting methods as organizational tools.

Conclusions

This study has posed three questions regarding French business studies:

(1) To what extent do authors based in France contribute to international journals?

(2) What are the geographical home bases of the contributions from France?

(3) What is the orientation of the contributions from France?

As regards the first question -- the contribution of the authors based in France to international journals -- we may conclude that the French contribution to the international journals in the field of business studies is rather meagre. However, the French-based authors share this predicament with many other countries, since the study has shown that international journal publication is mainly a case of North Americans publishing in their own national journals. Our introductory assumption that international journal publication in the area of business studies can be described as a Disneyland has received strong support.

It should be added at once that the fact that French-based business scholars publish to a limited extent only in the international journals, provides no evidence of quality problems for French research in this field. The standard could well be very high, albeit hidden from most of the potential English-speaking audience because of publication in French. Further knowledge about French business studies research therefore requires an analysis of French-language books and publications in the field.

Regarding the second question -- the geographical home base of the contributions from France -- the study has demonstrated that a considerable share (about one-third) of the co-authorships have been provided by non-French scholars. The analysis has shown that among the French-based researchers the 'genuinely' French contributions have to be reduced even more, since about half of the 'French authors' belong to the faculty of INSEAD, the internationally oriented management school at Fountainebleau south of Paris. If foreign co-authorships and INSEAD contributions are not counted, then the French authorships boil down from the 73 articles originally observed to about 25. Whether or not this adjustment is made, the data indicates that Paris is the area where most of the authors of the French contributions work.

As regards the third question -- the orientation of the contributions from France -- there are several indications that French-based business scholars favour research into strategic management and operations research. This can be gleaned from the journals in which the French publish, the words they use in the titles of their articles, and the documents they cite. In comparison to Nordic scholars, they seem to take a much more rationalistic view of managerial decision-making. However, they share with their Nordic colleagues the extensive use of North American references. The use of European, and particularly French, references is much less marked.