Source: French to English Tester Published on: 2026-04-20
Source: The Conversation – France (in French)– By Jean-Claude Dupuis, Professor at GENSIA-RH (formerly IGS-RH), Catholic Institute of Lille (ICL)
Many associations do not see themselves as activist organizations or as carrying a mission, but rather as organizations simply composed of professionals proud of their trade. Testimony from general directors of associations in the social and medico-social sector — which is one of the largest private non-profit employers. Would associative management no longer be a matter of values?
Some researchers, like thesociologist Thomas ChevallierorJulien Talpin and Pierre Bonnevalle, alarmed by a questioning of the political and strategic autonomy of associations by public authorities. This news goes hand in hand with the idea that associations are by nature “missionary organizations” in the sense given to this expression by the management scientistHenry MintzbergÂ: an organization driven by its own political vision and project, not to say carried by an ideology.
It remains that the practical analysis of associations invites us to nuance such a representation and, therefore, such a questioning. Based on original research devoted to practices ofgeneral directors of associations in the social and medico-social sector, we emphasize that the associations concerned are much more professional organizations than missionary organizations.
The social and medico-social sector is one of the major employers in the entire non-profit private sector in France, a guarantee of a certain representativeness of the associative world.In 2024, it had 39,350 employing structures (95% associations and 5% foundations) and represented approximately 1,202,000 employees.
Standing up to defend his profession
In 1989, the economist and anthropologistPhilippe d’Iribarnespoke of the logic of honor “as demanding in the duties it prescribes as in the privileges it allows to be defended.” With a history both aristocratic and revolutionary, the French would be particularly attached to the nobility of the profession they practice. Having a profession would allow belonging to a professional group, if not a body, to be part of the greatness of a tradition carrying a form of respectability that one would have the duty to maintain, both by being worthy and by opposing anyone who shows disrespect towards it.
This seems to be particularly the case in the social and medico-social sector where professionals are quick to rise up in protestto defend their trades. Those who are busy are, in fact, workers serving their profession: social service assistant, specialized educator, childcare assistant, nurse, etc.
This results in amuch greater horizontal mobilitythan in fields where professionalization is a less dominant force. The attachment is relative not so much to the employing organization as to the profession. Job mobility is common, from one association to another, from the non-profit private sector to the public sector. What matters is being able to continue to practice one’s profession with honor. In short, the dominant and common tone of the organizations in the field is not so much to be missionary as to be professional.
“Associative life does not exist”
This analysis is the result of one of the six researcher/director general pairs who participated in theparticipatory research on the profession of general manager of an association. It takes place within a medium-sized association in the Alpes-Maritimes department, managing 18 social and medico-social establishments and services, and employing 400 professionals committed to serving 700 people with disabilities.
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The associative status of this organization might suggest that we are dealing with a predominantly activist or missionary organization. The analysis reveals that this is not the case. The associative dimension is not central to it. Answers to two questions we asked them.
“What is the role of the associative dimension in your project?”
“People buy into the project. […] But we could have another status, it wouldn’t change much. […] Associative life does not exist,” emphasizes the general director.
“We have a drink from time to time, and that’s all,” adds the president of the association. The prevailing organizational tone is professional, to the extent that its leaders willingly agree to refer to it as a “professional association.”
“Are you even a professional association?”
“That’s a good definition,” says the interviewed president. “That’s exactly it,” agrees the general director.
Professionals are the central part of the association. This goes without saying for both the association’s president and the general director.
“The president does not embody the association,” asserts the president.
“The professionals identify with the operational aspect. They are the field actors who embody the association,” confirms the general director.
From artisanal management
Talking about “craftsmanship management” does not mean that managerial practices are underperforming. This notion refers to the fact that the practices of general directors of associations in the social and medico-social sector, at least those who participated in the research, appear to be primarily pragmatic, stemming from “tinkering” in the noble sense of the term.
Their strategic practices rely on the course of action, which they do not hesitate to take the initiative on. It is the activation of reality that fundamentally allows them to decide. It is about testing, experimenting, to know.
“I commit and I see (what happens then)” says the director general of the association.
Contrary to the image spontaneously accepted by common sense of a rational leader in their choices and actions, the activity of the general manager of a social action and medico-social association seems primarily pragmatic. It requires balancing different tendencies, opposing pressures, riding the events, relying on unforeseen emerging properties to optimize them, and acting within an unknown horizon.
“If we do not accept a bit of risk and uncertainty, an adaptability to situations, we do not move forward. That is what makes the role I hold so interesting,” emphasizes another general director who participated in the participatory research.
Sophisticated DIY
Activity situations are characterized by a logic of “bricolage,” strongly influenced by the experiential heritage of the general director. The improvisation they seem to display daily actually stems from a very sophisticated intuition, as it relies on a constant recomposition of experience. It is therefore a “sophisticated bricolage” in which general directors put a lot of themselves.
Associative management is therefore not just a matter of values. In the studied social and medico-social action associations, it rather takes the form of pragmatic management, anchored in action and real work. Of course, this aligns with the fact that the created organizations are primarily professional organizations and not missionary organizations.
Jean-Claude Dupuis does not work for, advise, own shares in, receive funds from any organization that could benefit from this article, and has declared no other affiliation than his research institution.
–ref. The employees of the associations are now proud of their profession – less so of the greatness of the cause –https://theconversation.com/the-salaried-employees-of-associations-are-now-proud-of-their-job-less-of-the-greatness-of-the-cause-276820