Location and Logic of Networks for Entrepreneurs in the Socially Responsible Consumption Sector in Québec
Type de matériel :
97
Many studies in social sciences have focused on socially responsible consumers (Dubuisson-Quellier 2004; Lamine 2003; Poncelet 2005; Quéniart, Jacques, and Jauzion 2007a and 2007b) but only a few have looked at entrepreneurs. Recent studies in this area have mostly been interested in the “economization of the political and social scenes” as well as in social economic movements (Salmon 2002; Johnson 2003; Gendron et al. 2006). For our part, we have decided to look into Quebec entrepreneurs who offer responsible products (fair trade, organic, local products). We want to analyze the relationship between their economic mission (for profit) and their social mission (centered on the promotion of ethical values and practices, solidarity or respect for the environment). In this paper, we focus on the relationships between these entrepreneurs and their competitors, particularly on the importance they assign to the networks they nurture in and around their enterprise. Based on an analysis of forty interviews conducted in Quebec with male and female entrepreneurs from different regions, we show that they build specific networks not commonly found in the conventional sector. We have categorized them into four distinct types: business networks, business and values networks, solidarity networks, and “shop-networks,” each with its own logic.
Réseaux sociaux