Chairs

The Strategy, Standards, and Management of Social Responsibility Chair strives to design and implement social responsibility (SR) strategies in companies and more broadly in all types of organisations. Its aim is to understand all the mechanisms (personnel training and commitment, appropriation and organisational learning, formalisation of processes, prioritisation, etc.) that underpin the development and implementation of responsible approaches.

By way of illustration, for the Hautier Transport Group, an initial agreement jointly developed with the company around ISO 26000 resulted in prioritising CSR issues, mapping stakeholders, developing a CSR vision, as well as areas for improvement and action plans. This project has produced new knowledge on the appropriation and organisational learning of CSR in the context of an organisation experiencing significant external growth. The objective of the second agreement with the Hautier Transport Group was to design, structure, and implement an integrated sustainable management system (ISM) to drive the action areas of the ISO 26000 standard.

Contributing companies since 2010: Fleury Michon, Inter Mutuelles Assistance, Cevital (Algeria), Hautier Transports

The Extended Accounting & Sustainable Finance Chair focusses on tools for managing responsible approaches, management control, extra-financial reporting, and socio-environmental accounting. The purpose of the sponsorship agreement signed with Fleury Michon was to implement an accounting information system at one of the Group’s industrial sites that would enable it to report on its overall performance (i.e. its CSR approach). After identifying and analysing the various existing extended accounting solutions (from 2017 to 2019), in consultation with Fleury Michon’s Administration & Finance Department, the choice was made to use the model known as CARE (Comprehensive Accounting in Respect of Ecology). The aim of the agreement was not to participate in the technical development of the accounting tool as such, but to examine the operational conditions for its implementation on site and the extent to which it would contribute to the collective understanding of CSR issues amongst Fleury Michon employees.

Contributing companies since 2017: Fleury Michon

The Sustainable Development & Regions Chair is concerned with all ecosystem-based approaches (third places, ecosystems, local projects) that can be developed within regions as a means of managing a common interest (energy transition, local resources, sustainability, tourism heritage, etc.). Its objective is to understand how institutional and individual players can work together on projects designed to manage natural or intangible common interests. In 2021, an agreement was signed with the La Rochelle Conurbation as part of the La Rochelle Zero-carbon Region project (LRTZC - La Rochelle Territoire Zéro Carbone). A second project involved 250 students participating in LRTZC as part of a Year 1 Master module entitled ‘360° CSR’. They worked on training needs and skills requirements for sustainable construction, the collection of cork at a local level, and a survey of players involved in the reuse of old computers and mobile phones. A third project involved assisting the Ethics Commission of the Coopérative Carbone in the drafting of its Ethics Charter.

Contributing organisations and those associated with IRSI’s work since 2020: LRTZC, La Proue, Coopérative Carbone, Green & Blue (in partnership with the University of La Rochelle)

The Sustainable Supply Chain Chair seeks to promote Sustainable Development and CSR throughout the entire supply chain of organisations (multinationals, SMEs, very small businesses, public services, associations, etc.). From the extraction of raw materials to the end-of-life of a product or service, this Chair addresses issues such as responsible purchasing (ISO 20400 standard), the selection and management of suppliers, the respect for human rights in a context of globalisation of business activities, the carbon footprint of transport, production and transformation processes as well as the management of return flows, the digitalisation of the supply chain, industrial relocation, and the identification and involvement of stakeholders both within and outside the supply chain.
In particular, this Chair includes the sponsorship agreement with the Compagnie Rochelaise du Logiciel (CoRoLo). Since March 2019, this agreement has involved an IT solution for the withdrawal and recall of products in the distribution chain, particularly at the level of mass distribution.
More specifically, it aims to examine

1. the co-development of the recall tool with stakeholders
2. the benefit of the tool in terms of reducing transaction costs
3. its impact in terms of improving social responsibility throughout the supply chain

Contributing organisations since 2019: CoRoLo (Compagnie Rochelaise du Logiciel), European Union, ANR (Agence Nationale de Recherche)

The Societal Innovation Chair encompasses research projects on partnerships and alternative organisations to reconsider our production and consumption models from a more sustainable perspective.

The research project in partnership with SocialCOBizz (ARES Group) focusses on innovative forms of socio-economic, socio-political, and ecological partnerships between regional actors (companies, associations, local authorities, civil society, etc.) that promote the transition to a more inclusive and respectful society. In particular, it looks at Social Joint Ventures in a number of sectors combining inclusion through economic activity and the circular economy.

La Proue association instigated a collaborative project for the creation of a Third Place in the La Rochelle area, dedicated to entrepreneurship and social innovation. The research, initiated in 2020, focussed on the structuring and development of this innovative project, particularly with regard to its governance and strategy (Sustainable Development & Regions Chair). IRSI researchers continue to work with the association on the development of a range of services (Societal Innovation Chair).

Contributing organisations since 2020: SocialCOBizz, Le Groupe ARES, La Proue