[Seminaire CREM] “I just can get enough”: sufficiency as an organizing logic within planetary boundaries

“I just can get enough”: sufficiency as an organizing logic within planetary boundaries, co-écrit avec Mathias Guérineau (Univ. de Nantes, LEMNA)

This article addresses the imperative for organizations to reconfigure their relationship with the natural environment in response to planetary boundaries and the ecological crisis. Embracing a "biosocial" turn in management, we propose the concept of "sufficiency" to encapsulate the pursuit of a delicate “just enough” equilibrium between human aspirations (e.g., growth, well-being, freedom, abundance) and ecological preservation. Sufficiency is theorized through a relational lens to explore how organizations striving for a biosocial equilibrium redefine their aspirations. Drawing on a qualitative study (conducted in collaboration with RTE for the "Energy Futures 2050" scenarios), we focus on three French energy sufficiency initiatives, revealing three archetypes: "monitored", "symbiotic" and "governed" sufficiency. Each archetype represents a distinct approach to defining "just enough" aspirations that are contingent on the organization's interaction with nature. Our findings contribute to a better understanding of the pathways and conditions for the scaling-up of sufficiency in society and business. In conclusion, we outline multidisciplinary research avenues that are part of a 2024-2026 funded research program, integrating management sciences with economics, sociology, biology, and geography.