Your jobs gave you the occasion to compare practices of patronage and of voluntary work within big French and American firms. On these subjects, what big difference and similarities could you notice between these two countries?

I worked on a particular form of patronage of firm in France and in the United States, which I called voluntary work of firm (where the French patrons of the arts prefer speaking about patronage / voluntary work of competence). It is for the firms to encourage their wage earners to perform associative activities under the colours of the firm, on or inopportunely job. This policies serve of very similar manager objectives in both countries (motivation, community of firm, better internal and external picture), and are based on similar associative activities, organised in a very similar way. On the other hand, in the United States, this policies are more developed at the same time, better know of the general public and more publicis es. That being said, it is in France where they make the object of tax deductions

A recent article which you cowrote [] deciphers the strategical dimensions, for firms, of the putting forward of policies of RSE. According to you, from when is it possible to speak about RSE who is not only declarative and who does not limit itself to the only promotion of the picture of the firm?

RSE recuperates practices and very various representations. Some reports of RSE or of sustainable development of firms mention only respect by the firms of legislation - notably social - of countries in which they are established, or of international agreements as the principles of the ILO or of the OECD, on the respect for basic rights. They go beyond statements when firms get involved on practices which are not ruled on them by national or international right, and that they make it in a permanent way. It can concern the rights of the wage earners; their social welfare system or their rights to the training for example; the confusion of the processes of production to protect environment, or else a more fair sharing out of benefits. Let us note that these three domains are seldom united.

How do you see the place of associations as potential left absorbing of the implementation of RSE?

For the world of the firm, the concept of RSE was conceived as a way of formalizing its relations with the actors part of its social, economic and political environment. The associative world is part of it. However, he is often in position of relating weakness in his relations with the world of the firm. For associations benefiting from an important reputation and from consequent budgets, it is possible to lobby on the world of the firm, including on firms patrons of the arts, to claim behaviours more responsible socially. It is what made for example Amnesty International and International Disability by lobbying on Centered so that the firm withdraws from fund understanding actions of groups producing bombs with sub-ammunition. That being said, as part of my thesis, I more often noticed the change of some associative policies to please firms patrons of the arts rather than the opposite, for obvious questions of reports of force.

* Ann Bory is doctor in sociology and researcher linked to the Laboratory George Friedman, Paris 1 university. Supported in 2008, its doctoral dissertation is called "Of generosity in firm: patronage and voluntary work in the big firms in France and in the United States". To know more about it, click

Purposes gathered by Emmanuel Gagnerot, Representative for CPCA.