Management of Extreme Situations: From Polar Expeditions to Exploration-oriented Organizations

In response to the rise of various forms of the extreme in economies, organizations and societies (such as disruptive innovation, climate emergency, financial crisis, high-risk sport, etc.), an ambitious 21st century program sets the agenda of management sciences around the unknown, disruption, uncertainty and risk.

Management of Extreme Situations presents the research results from the conference organized at the Cerisy-la-Salle International Cultural Center, France, in 2016. It testifies to the existence of an international community that brings together, around management sciences, various disciplines studying the management concept of extreme situations.

Through the analysis of varied contexts (polar and mountain expeditions, fire rescue services, exploration projects in the military field, creative industries, etc.), this book offers an initial grammar of the extreme. It presents a heuristic for the management of these situations – particularly in terms of sensemaking, ambidexterity and knowledge expansion.

Pascal Lièvre is Professor in Management Sciences at Clermont Auvergne University, France.

Monique Aubry is Professor of Project Management at the Université du Québec à Montréal, Canada.

Gilles Garel is Professor of Innovation Management at the National Conservatory of Arts and Crafts, France.