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Revue Internationale de Psychosociologie et de Gestion des Comportements Organisationnels (RIPCO)
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La cinquième journée de recherche de la RIPCO, axée sur le "bien-être/mal-être au travail", a réuni 93 participants et 35 présentations de 63 contributeurs internationaux au campus de l'ICN à Paris-La Défense le 6 juin 2024, et le comité éditorial envisage de transformer cet événement annuel en congrès académique de deux jours. SOUMETTRE
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Call for contributions : RIPCO Special Issue Download the call in PDF
 
Norms and organisational behaviour
 
Guest editors :
 

Pierre-Antoine Sprimont - Université IAE Rouen

Arnaud Eve - Université IAE Rouen

 
Abstract

In a context where confusion between standards and legal regulations is common, it is essential to clarify that standards are voluntarily adopted management tools, co-constructed through consensus, designed to simplify organisational processes. Unlike laws, which are mandatory, standards offer flexibility in implementation. Some are obligatory, such as ISO 17021 for certifications, while others, like ISO 26000, provide non-certifiable guidelines. Recent research shows that the adoption of standards is influenced by cultural and organisational factors, with tensions sometimes arising, as seen in France's critical reception of ISO 45001. The proliferation of standards, referred to as "Tétranormalisation," also creates challenges by generating conflicts between different norms. This special issue aims to explore how organisations perceive, negotiate, and manage standards, while also considering the creation of new standards to address contemporary issues like remote working and inclusivity.

 

Call for contributions

In a period where numerous economic and political actors are denouncing "normative fundamentalism" and "norm inflation" that penalize organizations, it seems necessary and relevant to us to mobilize research on organizational behaviors to enrich the debate. As stated by Maugis G, president of AFNOR (2024), the public debate maintains confusion between norms (voluntary, co-constructed by expert consensus, and promoting a common language for proper functioning among actors) and legal texts (rules, laws) issued by the government to mandate or prohibit specific actions.

A norm is a specification approved by a recognized standardization body for repeated and continuous application, whose compliance is not mandatory. It provides recommendations, characteristics, or examples of best practices related to products, services, methods, processes, or organizations (Ministry of Economy, Industry, and Digital Affairs 2016, Page 6). Within the framework of the new approach (1985), regulatory directives set the essential minimum requirements, and norms propose the means to achieve these requirements. At this level, the norm thus implies an interpretative logic: the means to achieve the result are not imposed a priori, allowing organizations to define the most suitable means to meet these regulatory requirements (Ministry of Economy, Industry, and Digital Affairs 2016).

Some norms are mandatory because they reflect a regulatory directive. For example, ISO 17021, which sets requirements for the competence of personnel involved in the certification process of quality management systems (QMS), such as ISO 9001, which is voluntary. In addition to mandatory certifications resulting from compliance with International Organization for Standardization (ISO) norms, mandatory certifications can also be observed at the national level, such as the Qualiopi certification, which is mandatory in France for any organization seeking access to public funds for professional training. Some norms are not certifiable by a trusted third party. This is the case, for example, of ISO 26000, which provides guidelines for implementing a CSR approach. At this level, organizations may seek to obtain a label from a private structure (e.g., Lucie, B-Corp) to certify their CSR approach built on meta-norms (e.g., ISO, SA) (Asif et al. 2019). Other reference frameworks have been specially created by specific industries, such as the MASE framework for the Company Safety Improvement Manual (initially in France and now internationally), initiated by industrial organizations with a high level of risk, intended for their SME-SMI subcontractors. These examples of mandatory or non-mandatory systems, vectors of trust for markets or institutions, fit into a broader set that includes certifications, sectoral labels (e.g., RGE, Qualibat), or regulatory labels (e.g., IGP, AOC, AOP), causing confusion and creating a mixture.

Ideally, the research expected for this call for contributions should address the concept of the norm in the strict sense (voluntary adoption and/or with an interpretative logic) and consider it as a management tool. For management research, the norm is a "management tool," public or private. Management tools are conceptualizations or materials aimed at reducing complexity and simplifying the reality of organizations. According to Dreveton (2008), the management tool is a formalization of activity that guides the company in its actions, its evolution, and allows its members to act according to predetermined orientations. The norm, as a management tool, will be interpreted differently depending on individuals and contexts and will influence employee behavior differently (Eve and Sprimont 2016). The norm is an artifact that, when it meets the user's action schemes (the way actors conceive the use of the tool), becomes an organization-specific instrument.

Contributions can be aligned with recent research on organizational factors, motivations, and processes that favor (or not) the adoption of norms by organizations. France has been the most critical country regarding the ISO 45001 standard on occupational health and safety (Heras-Saizarbitoria et al. 2020). Traits related to performance and collectivism in national culture influence the diffusion of the ISO 14001 standard (Orcos et al. 2019). The social norms of the organization (e.g., values) and the formalization of practices (e.g., routines, structures, tools) affect engagement in the SA 8000 standard on corporate social responsibility (Testa et al. 2020) or the adoption of IFRS norms (Reisch 2021). According to the Cereq survey (2022), 11% of French employees experience a change in their activities following the introduction of environmental norms (NF Environment, HQE, ISO…). These various themes can be studied and deepened in the contributions.

Contributions offering a critical view on norms are welcome. Tetranormalization refers to the proliferation of norms within which organizations operate. This trend conceptualizes the articulation of these norms and questions their effects on the organization: the proliferation of norms, competition and conflicts between norms, and non-compliance with norms constitute the three issues of Tetranormalization (Savall and Zardet, 2005). For example, according to Nava and Tampe (2022), the adoption of voluntary norms on sustainability (e.g., ISO, ESRS, UNGC, GRI) can create tensions between the need to adhere to these norms (risk of decoupling between discourse and practice) and the need to allow for adaptation (risk of decoupling between means and ends). The management of norm interweaving, paradoxical normative injunctions, and power dynamics are themes that can inform contributions.

Through this special issue, we hope to promote research that updates knowledge on norms, re-conceptualizes norms, addresses new norms, and analyzes how norms influence the discourse and behavior of organizational actors.

Ideally, this special issue will aim to answer the following questions:

  1. How do actors (managers, employees, executives, stakeholders) perceive norms?
  2. How is the place of the norm arbitrated and negotiated within the organization?
  3. What is the effect of norms on personnel training and management?
  4. Can cultural differences influence the processes of norm adoption?
  5. What are the attitudes and behaviors of organizational actors towards norms?
  6. How do organizations manage the balance between compliance with norms and differentiation strategies?
  7. Given the new challenges faced by companies (e.g., religious considerations, remote work, inclusivity), should new norms be created?
  8. What role do norms play in specific sectors and particular organizations (e.g., small businesses, public sector)?
  9. How do labels, charters, codes of ethics, social norms, certifications, and duties relate to norms?
 
How to submit?
 

Submitting articles to the RIPCO is done via the RIPCO manuscript manager website at : https://www.manuscriptmanager.net/ripco

When submitting, authors must choose the special issue "Special Issue : Norms and OB" from the drop-down menu in the field " If the manuscript is destinated to a Special Issue, please make a choice" found in the "DETAILS" page of the submission. Proposals should follow the editorial standards of the journal: ripco-online.com/en/avantSoumission.asp

 
Review process
 

All articles submitted to the journal are reviewed on a double-blind basis and all resubmitted manuscripts go through the same review process, and the previously solicited reviewers give an assessment based on consideration of the changes suggested in the first round of review. The final editorial decision will be made on the basis of the proposed revised manuscript, in the form of either an acceptance for publication or a final rejection, possibly with an invitation to resubmit for a regular issue of the journal.

 
Tentative Schedule
 

September 25, 2025: Submission deadline

December 1st, 2025: Notification to authors

Mars 2, 2026: Submission of revised manuscripts

Avril 27, 2026: Final decision

May 25, 2026: Submission of final version

 
References
 
  • Asif, M., Jajja, M.S.S., Searcy, C., (2019). "Social compliance standards: Re-evaluating the buyer and supplier perspectives". Journal of Cleaner Production. 227, 457-471.
  • Céreq (2022), Normes environnementales: quelles effets sur le travail et les formations ?, Bulletin de Recherche Emploi Formation, n°432, Delanoe A et Moncel Nathalie.
  • Dreveton B. (2008), « Le rôle des représentations sociales au cours du processus de construction d'un outil de contrôle de gestion », Comptabilité Contrôle Audit, Vol.14 N°2, p. 125-154.
  • Eve, A., & Sprimont, P.-A. (2016). "Perceptions et attitudes liées à la norme ISO 9001: une analyse auprès de salariés opérationnels ». Comptabilité-Contrôle-Audit, 22(1): 27-52.
  • Heras-Saizarbitoria I, Boiral O, Ibarloza A (2020). La norme ISO 45001 et les controverses autour de la régulation transnationale privée de la sécurité et de la santé au travail. Revue internationale du Travail159(3), 439-466.
  • Maugis G (2024), Trop de règles oui, trop de normes non, Les Echos, version 30 janvier 2024
  • Ministère de l'Economie, de l'industrie et du numérique (2016), Guide relatif au bon usage de la normalisation dans la réglementation, Juin, P1-34.
  • Nava, L., & Tampe, M. (2022). "The challenge of implementing voluntary sustainability standards: A dynamic framework on the tension between adherence and adaptation". Business Ethics Quarterly, 33, 1– 31.
  • Orcos, R. and Palomas, S. (2019), "The impact of national culture on the adoption of environmental management standards: The worldwide diffusion of ISO 14001", Cross Cultural & Strategic Management, Vol. 26 No. 4, pp. 546-566.
  • Reisch, L. (2021). "Does national culture influence management's accounting behaviour and strategy? – An empirical analysis of European IFRS adopters." Cross Cultural and Strategic Management, Vol. 28 Issue 1, p129-157.
  • Savall H., Zardet V.(2005), Tétranormalisation : défis et dynamiques. Economica, Paris.
  • Testa, F., Boiral, O., & Heras-Saizarbitoria, I. (2018). "Improving CSR performance by hard and soft means: The role of organizational citizenship behaviours and the internalization of CSR standards", Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 25(5), 853–865.
 
Contact
 

contact@ripco-online.com

 
 
Calls for contributions
Special Issue: Vol.XXXI, Num. CFP_SI_NORMS ( 2026)
Norms and organisationnal behaviour
Guest editors: Pierre-Antoine Sprimont et Arnaud Eve
Deadline : 31/12/2026
In a context where confusion between standards and legal regulations is common, it is essential to clarify that standards are voluntarily adopted management tools, co-constructed through consensus, designed to simplify organisational processes. Unlike laws, which are mandatory, standards offer flexibility in implementation. Some are obligatory, such as ISO 17021 for certifications, while others, like ISO 26000, provide non-certifiable guidelines. Recent research shows that the adoption of standards is influenced by cultural and organisational factors, with tensions sometimes arising, as seen in France's critical reception of ISO 45001. The proliferation of standards, referred to as "Tétranormalisation," also creates challenges by generating conflicts between different norms. This special i ...
Special Issue: Vol.XXXI, Num. CFP_SI_WELLBEING ( 2025)
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Guest editors: Nathalie Bernard et Virginie MOISSON
Deadline : 31/12/2026
The study of well-being at work truly emerged at the turn of the 2000s when positive psychology encouraged the scientific community to study optimal human functioning (Seligman 1999) and when well-being at work measurement scales appeared (Abord de Chatillon and Richard 2015; Bietry and Creusier 2013; Dagenais-Desmarais 2010). Today, well-being at work has become a significant managerial and societal issue. As employee expectations have shifted towards finding more meaning in work (Commeiras et al. 2022), greater work-life balance, and more human-oriented management, companies are being pushed to reinvent themselves to remain attractive and to enhance their employer brand, without this becoming an implicit injunction to well-being at work (Genoud 2023; Le Garrec 2021). ...
 
 
   
 
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