February 2014
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10 Reads
In a business world characterized by increasing complexity of technologies associated with the globalization of markets, technical knowledge and innovation become crucial assets and primary condition for developing competitive advantage. These issues are often associated with a particular figure within organizations: that of the expert. Indeed, these people are usually considered as a source of technological excellence and innovative solutions. It becomes thus crucial, in order to retain these key people, to value their expertise and to propose adequate conditions for the development of their knowledge and their innovation potential. As a response to this challenge, the dual ladder model was developed and has been soon recognized as a primary solution for the management of experts in the technological and industrial companies. This model proposes an alternative career path (technical ladder) to that of traditional managerial path. However, this solution, while a reference model in the management of experts, has not often brought satisfaction neither for those in charge of its implementation, nor for targeted individuals. Inspired by this paradox of the dual ladder model and building on the results of a longitudinal intervention-research, this thesis proposes a new problematization of the issue of expert' management in organisations. We argue that not only the recognition policies for current experts should be taken into consideration, but also the issues of anticipation of future needs in expertise as well as the creation of new expertise areas. This thesis thus proposes an analytical framework that incorporates three lines of action: recognition policies for experts, strategic renewal of expertise and creation of new expertise domains. Each line is supported by the associated management tool, which was tested and validated in our fieldwork.