Sciences Po Aix conference-debate: «Des mots aux faits, une enquête sur la vertu des entreprises internationales» (Philippe Aldrin & Magali Nonjon)
Details
Wednesday 28 January 2026 | 18h15 - 20h | Sciences Po Aix, Amphithéâtre Cassin
From words to facts, an investigation into the virtue of international companies :
«Corporate responsibility, sustainability and benevolence, here and elsewhere
Conference-debate with Karel YON and Amin ALLAL
To mark the publication of the book Decathlon or the tactics of virtue. The political sociology of a corporate citizen (Presses de Sciences Po, 2025), which they co-ordinated, Karel YON and Amin ALLAL will analyse the transformations of work and industrial relations between new norms (CSR provisions, public expectations), political logics (scandals, media exposure) and the reshaping of the global economy.
Sociologist and political scientist, CNRS research fellow (IDHES laboratory, Université Paris-Nanterre), Karel YON conducts research into changes in trade unionism, labour policies and social democracy, based on surveys carried out in France, the United States and Mexico.
Sociologist and political scientist, research fellow at the CNRS (CERAPS laboratory, University of Lille), Amin ALLAL conducts research into the conflicts that run through contemporary societies in the Maghreb, and which are expressed in protest and revolutionary sequences.
Open to the public, the conference-debate will be led by Philippe ALDRIN and Magali NONJON, professors of political science at Sciences Po Aix, and researchers at the MESOPOLHIS laboratory.
Registration is free but compulsory: here
All this information can be found at Sciences Po Aix website.
Decathlon or the tactics of virtue Political sociology of a corporate citizen, Presses de Sciences Po, 2025 - Synopsis :
Can business save the planet and humanity? Today there is an enchanted discourse claiming that a virtuous capitalism is possible, capable of combining economic performance with the defence of the general interest. By means of social and environmental responsibility (SER) policies, companies are said to be at the origin of new practices that make it possible to produce both a «corporate citizen» and a «corporate citizen» in tune with the company.
Decathlon, the French sports retail giant, is the embodiment of this entrepreneurial model. With a presence in 70 countries and over 100,000 employees worldwide, Decathlon is committed to the well-being of its employees and to its involvement in all the territories where it operates.
established. However, the logic of development and competition often contradicts the virtuous intentions claimed by the group, which has led to a great deal of criticism.
From the north of France to the brand new shops of Mexico and Senegal, via the garment factories of Tunisia, this book looks at the origins, uses and limits of these «tactics of virtue».
See more