Jean-Claude Daumas explains how the Dictionary of French patternsthe first company of its kind conducted in France. The publication of this work, which fills an important historiographical gap, is an opportunity to present some major characteristics of French employers in the XXe century and discuss its developments.
A former student of the École normale supérieure de Saint-Cloud, Jean-Claude Daumas is professor of contemporary history at the University of Franche-Comté.
A specialist in business history, he has notably published The love of the sheet. Blin and Blin, 1827-1975. History of a family wool business (Pufc, 1999) which received the Crédit Lyonnais prize for business history.
His current research focuses on the territorial dynamics of industrialization and the history of employers. He was president of the French Association of Economic History.
Summary of questions:
- Historiography of employers. How can we explain that it was necessary to wait so long in France for a bosses’ dictionary to appear when similar initiatives have existed for several decades in other European countries, and when the Biographical Dictionary of the Labor Movement or the Dictionary of the religious world For example ? can we say that there has been a delay in French historiography on the employers’ world? ?
- Edition of the dictionary and methodological choices. How did you construct this dictionary – a collective undertaking bringing together 168 authors – and, more particularly, how was the choice of entries made, wishing to avoid, as you say in the introduction to the work, “ completeness and prosopography » ?
- Boss World Unity ? You use the term “ world of bosses » rather than that of “ employers » ; is this a way of indicating that it is difficult to consider a collective actor when we speak of “ employers » ?
- The influence of bosses. How was the political and cultural influence of the bosses organized? ? Has this influence increased or decreased over time? ? what conclusions can we draw from this for the political history of contemporary France ?
- Specificity of French employers. Are we observing characteristics specific to French bosses (training, political commitment, religion, family structure, public companies, etc.) compared to foreign bosses? ? how could exchanges and interactions with foreign bosses have changed the behavior or methods of bosses in France ?
- Evolution of French bosses since the XIXe (1D part). How the image or style of bosses evolved from XIXe century to the present ?
- Evolution of French bosses since the XIXe (2e part). Do you become a boss the same way today as before? ?
- Bosses and economic performance. Is there a link between the structure of employers (family, dynastic, separation between management and administration/shareholders, frequency of renewal) and the economic performance of companies ? Can the historian say if there were “ good or bad » bosses ?
Historiography of employers
How can we explain that it was necessary to wait so long in France for a bosses’ dictionary to appear when similar initiatives have existed for several decades in other European countries, and when the Biographical Dictionary of the Labor Movement or the Dictionary of the religious world For example ? can we say that there has been a delay in French historiography on the employers’ world? ?
Edition of the dictionary and methodological choices
How did you construct this dictionary – a collective undertaking bringing together 168 authors – and, more particularly, how was the choice of entries made, wishing to avoid, as you say in the introduction to the work, “ completeness and prosopography » ?
Boss World Unity ?
You use the term “ world of bosses » rather than that of “ employers » ; is this a way of indicating that it is difficult to consider a collective actor when we speak of “ employers » ?
The influence of bosses
How was the political and cultural influence of the bosses organized? ? Has this influence increased or decreased over time? ? what conclusions can we draw from this for the political history of contemporary France ?
Specificity of French employers
Are we observing characteristics specific to French bosses (training, political commitment, religion, family structure, public companies, etc.) compared to foreign bosses? ? how could exchanges and interactions with foreign bosses have changed the behavior or methods of bosses in France ?
Evolution of French bosses since the XIXe (1D part)
How the image or style of bosses evolved from XIXe century to the present ?
Evolution of French bosses since the XIXe (2e part)
Do you become a boss the same way today as before? ?
Bosses and economic performance
Is there a link between the structure of employers (family, dynastic, separation between management and administration/shareholders, frequency of renewal) and the economic performance of companies ? Can the historian say if there were “ good or bad » bosses ?