What does an anthropologist do?

As a method, classic or fundamental ethnology involves a deep and lasting immersion, a “field,” of the ethnologist in society (business, group, neighborhood…), learning the local language and the social and cultural codes of the place through participant observation. The business is, for the ethnologist seeking to conduct anthropology of the business, an object like any other: it is a micro-society that he can approach and think about with his own tools. Ethnologists need this field period, a period that is built in the relationship with one another, a social relationship required by the inquiry, because they do not operate based on pre-constructed hypotheses. “The approach is inductive and not hypothetically deductive; questions emerge from the field.” Therefore, data is always constructed and elaborated through the researcher’s analysis, in the relationship he weaves with the populations.

ForCharles-Edouard de SURESENT, anthropology of business must respond to twostages:

• the co-construction of data, analyses, and problems, with the business and the ethnologist (conditions; ethnologist’s location; trust)
• the temporality of the investigation and research: is the time necessary to conduct preliminary research to foster major progress: how to reconcile fundamental research and applied research? What can ethnologists and businesses do to achieve this?

Sophie Bouly de Lesdain (anthropologist, R&D EDF) works particularly onsmart electrical systems, social acceptability, centralproduction… She presents daily the work of the anthropologist in a large company in the energy sector.

In the context of EDF’s R&D, several sociologists and anthropologists work to better understand customers and levers of action (for example, how to integrate renewable energies, how to welcome customers in the face of new offers that may arise). Ethnologists therefore go into the field (a shorter field period than in academic research) to see how customers or users manage their energy, how they represent it, etc., in order to identify operational segmentations: starting from an industrial or political question, sociologists and anthropologists seek to understand what the relationship is to comfort (for example).

Thus, anthropologists intervene, through fieldwork, on the technical problems encountered by engineers: the duration is short, but the multiplicity of the field allows for a comparative approach that is at the heart of the anthropological approach. She notes that tools and energy policies are often framed in terms of “impact of information” (a stimulus, a response), a behavioral mode inspired by Anglo-Saxon policies; however, the customer does not always choose the most efficient response from a technical or economic point of view in our daily choices. It is these less accessible and less visible elements that the anthropologist encounters. In her daily work, she strives for “translation”: it is first necessary to understand the demand from engineering colleagues; to retranslate it, reformulate it from a more ethnological perspective with the available tools; go into the field; and finally, succeed in distinguishing the invariants to provide feedback into operational segmentation, with the engineers.

In the context of a strategic project to transform customer relationsat AXA,number 1 insurance, how can anthropology contributetoimprovingclaims management? Marie-Laure Cuisance, in the context of her anthropology thèse (CIFRE at AXA) focuses on the interactions between AXA and its clients, around home insurance products. She arrived at a key moment at AXA, where Jean Prévost’s team began a profound transformation of customer relations, which allowed her to broaden the scope of her research. AXA employees participated in the reflection, she herself integrated “this movement” and found her place in the team. She was able to conduct her investigation, as she recalls that it is primarily about being immersed, understanding practices, and exploring the representations of the people involved in the field.

For his part, Jean Prévost (director ofnon-auto regulations, AXA), welcomed Marie-Laure Cuisance as an“profile”that brings added valuee e e e e e. The “quasi-consultant” profile of the doctoral student, who states upon her arrival that she has “time” (three-year CIFRE thesis), was therefore valued in a logic of added value; however, it was necessary to create and “find trust, feel mutual interests.” This led to offering Marie-Laure Cuisance a field of observation, in which she could be an actress. She thus interfered in current topics (multicultural, quality of service, customer relations…) to which she brought added value through her contribution.

For him, the anthropologist must be drawn to people, differences: Marie-Laure Cuisance demonstrated in her relationships with people from different environments (technicians, project teams, regions, etc.) her abilitytoadapt andto integrate. She had the opportunity to giveadvice or a “different rent ” to those who makedecisions .

Marie-Laure Cuisance emphasizes that participant observation has allowed for the reconciliation of the two temporalities, that of the business and that of research: it was necessary to find — as in any field — a natural distance and balance. Anthropology allows for linking the different actors in the business. The narrative form (beyondnumbers and anecdotes),more explanatory, is another tool that the anthropologist can make available to the decision-maker.

Thaïs Mosinet (mission officer, Nutriset,operations department) explains why Nutriset, which invents and produces nutritional solutions, has chosento develop anthropology within it. Nutriset recently developed solutions for preventing chronic malnutrition that do not require medical supervision. In order to increase the coverage of these products, Nutriset must develop new distribution networks, both private and commercial. Anthropology allows access to information on the dietary practices of target populations. The needfor internalskillsto deepen this knowledge is therefore necessary. For example, Nutriset knows very little about the Bolivian field where Amélie Aubert works (CIFRE Nutriset).

Amémensonge Aubert was contactedafterher master’s degree and was offered this research project for a e e e e e e e e eee e e e e e e e e ee e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e ee ee e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e the dietary practices of pregnant women and young children in Bolivia: she carries out documentation but also participates in incorporating SHS into the company through the monthly hosting of an “anthropo café” where she presents works related to Nutriset’s mandate, or reflections on the contribution of SHS to society, discussed among all. Additionally, she maintains a weekly log, shared with two operational companies to track the progress of research work and allow the company to appropriate the work and data. It leads to numerousexchanges and theinformationfound by the company can beapproachedwithout waiting for the end of the thesis.

OnyxDevelopmentoperates as a holding company in Africa where Nutriset’s flagship product Plumpynut is developing in several countries; it is also an incubation andprospective, which has its own food science laboratory dedicated to the food of the future, and an incubation company for pilot projects (including the creation of a distribution brand in Burkina Faso). ForLaetitia Raginel (Director of Development D ), the relationship between anthropology and innovation lies in the “space of freedom” offered by Onyx Développement to Raphaëlle Héron (doctoral student at CIFRE). For this small team working on incubation and prospective projects upstream and downstream of agro-food transformation, what matters is that innovation and personnel remain at the heart of the business, to fulfill its mandate: quality food for all. To contribute, what the company expects from Raphaëlle Héron is a “broader perspective, with fewer assumptions, on dietary practices”: “we expect regular feedback from the field, but we allow freedom of research until the end of the thesis.” Access to anthropological data is seen as necessary. It providesintermediate deliverables(videos, interview reports, etc.) that feed thereflection of theusers who make a rational translation.

In her thesis, Raphaëlle Héron, engineer in agro-development and holder of two Master’s degrees in Sociology (Development and Food), analyzes the eating behavior of urban dwellers in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, as well as the social and identity functions of products. New forms of food are emerging for urban singles who do not cook, but also new ways to preserve seasonal foods such as shea worms or other insects. Thesedata on theconsumer are important for the company to adapt its products, recipes, and marketing forms.

The Académic and applied researchare complementary:for Sophie Bouly de Lesdain, “operational knowledge feeds fundamental research and vice versa”: commercial research with its economic and environmental objectives is useful at different levels; Charles-Edouard deSu l’ use of instrumentalization must be distinguished in the appropriation of the anthropologist’s work. With the company, the anthropologist enters into processes, together they co-construct, co-produce. Today, anthropologists from the academic world are solicited by the public and private sectors. Most requests come from businesses and private entities.