“Businesses in the Age of the Anthropocene”:
an unprecedented collective research project
Clermont School of Business, through its academic department Humanities, Organization and Management, announces the publication of the collection Businesses in the Age of the Anthropocene, a set of nine educational case studies released by the Centrale des Cas et des Médias Pédagogiques (CCMP). This research project, partially funded by the French National Agency for the Improvement of Working Conditions (ANACT), was carried out in collaboration with CleRMa (Clermont Recherche Management), emlyon business school, and its French Institute of Corporate Governance (IFGE).
Rethinking managerial transformation through real-world challenges
In response to ecological disruption, the collection Businesses in the Age of the Anthropocene, comprising nine educational case studies, invites us to question the cognitive and practical frameworks of traditional management and to train students in new management challenges.
As stated in the introduction to the publication: “Managing teams or running a business in the Anthropocene era cannot be done using the intellectual frameworks and tools that are traditionally taught. We must contribute to transforming cognitive references in order to act on the new biogeophysical realities that now shape business environments.”
Nine educational case studies to teach complexity
Rooted in industrial, agricultural, urban, or cultural contexts, these real-life case studies illustrate the diversity of responses and dilemmas that companies face. They are based on organizations that agreed to open their doors and share their experiences, providing tangible insights into the transformations currently underway:
- Picture – How to break through the sustainability ceiling of a committed company?
- Ninkasi – A brewer facing the challenges of climate change.
- Ecoprod – Experimenting with ecological transition in audiovisual production.
- Verdi – Helping cities remain livable during heatwaves.
- Groupe Aramis – Being sustainable in aluminum production.
- Métabief – The decision of a ski resort to give up in the face of climate change.
- Maison Le Breton – A vineyard as a “sentinel” of climate change.
- Pocheco – Becoming a regenerative company.
- Groupe Lazare – Dilemmas between transition and industrial redirection.
With this collection, we wanted to document and share the real experiences of organizations confronted with today’s ecological and social upheavals. These educational cases help understand how leaders and their teams navigate tensions between performance, sustainability, and purpose, while opening discussions on new ways of thinking and decision-making. Teaching management in the Anthropocene means inviting students to challenge existing models and imagine more sustainable paths for organizations and territories.
Professor of Governance
and Organisation
Coordinated by Dr. (HDR) Émilie Bourlier-Bargues, Professor at Clermont SB and researcher at CleRMa, this collective work is the result of collaboration between six faculty members, two PhD students, and two research engineers:
- Nathan Ben Kemoun – Professor, Clermont School of Business / CleRMa
- Xavier Blot – Professor, emlyon business school / IFGE
- Émilie Bourlier-Bargues – Professor, Clermont School of Business / CleRMa / IFGE
- Emmanuel Bonnet – Professor, Clermont School of Business / CleRMa
- Daniel Enama – Research Engineer, Université Clermont Auvergne / CleRMa
- Thomas Gauthier – Professor, emlyon business school / IFGE
- Pierre-Baptiste Goutagny – PhD student, emlyon business school / IFGE
- Marion Pirazzi – Research Engineer, Université Clermont Auvergne / CleRMa
- Marc-Émilien Poncet – PhD student, emlyon business school / IFGE
- Charles Revue – Professor, emlyon business school / IFGE
- Bertrand Valiorgue – Professor, emlyon business school / IFGE
This collaboration between three institutions in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region explores, in an unprecedented way, how companies are confronting the climatic, economic, and social upheavals that define the Anthropocene era.
Research at Clermont School of Business
This approach is fully aligned with the REVEAL 22–27 strategic plan, which positions sustainable management as the central focus of research at Clermont School of Business. The goal is to support the transformation of managerial practices in response to contemporary ecological and social challenges.
By placing research at the heart of its mission, Clermont SB ensures that its students benefit from training enriched by the latest scientific advances and actively contributes to the evolution of responsible and sustainable management practices. Furthermore, the School is cofounder, alongside the University of Clermont Auvergne, of CleRMa (Clermont Recherche Management), the management research laboratory of the Clermont site. Clermont SB is proud of its faculty of around fifty permanent professors and researchers, experts in their fields, who combine academic rigor and practical relevance, contributing actively to the advancement of knowledge in management sciences.
This project illustrates the growing impact of the research carried out at Clermont SB, establishing the School as a committed player in the ecological, social, and economic transformation of organizations and territories.
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