Résumé
The literature on disruptive innovations studies the strategic behavior of companies during a transformation process of market, sector or industry. It’s describe the processes by which firms transform an industry or create a new market in order to gain a competitive advantage through innovations. The literature recognizes the capacity of different innovations to change the rules of the game (technology, product, business model). Nevertheless, few researches link this literature with the environmental challenges. In this perspective, we cross-reference the analytical frameworks of disruptive innovations with one of the sustainability transition (Multi-Level Perspective). This analytical framework allows us to apprehend the dynamic processes within and between three levels of a sociotechnical system: niche, regime and landscape. Research on sustainability transition emphasizes the key role of organizations in this transition process. Our thesis aims to contribute to the literature in strategic management regarding the participation of firms in this transition. This thesis presents a longitudinal case study of the French food distribution sector from 1963 to 2019. Our analysis is mainly focused on two companies: Carrefour and Biocoop. Our thesis develops two main results. Firstly, we highlight that sustainability can reach the mass market (1). Secondly, we describe the scaling-up process who is the result of a co-evolution between the two firms studied (2). Indeed, Biocoop partly adopts the sectoral rules of the game. This partial integration of the dominant practices allows Biocoop to develop its store chain and its activity in a new market. The economic opportunities offered by this new market leads Carrefour to accept the disruption in order to restore its competitive advantage. The participation of these two compagnies accelerate the diffusion of sustainability within the sector.