De la logique d’arsenal à la logique de marché : les transformations institutionnelles d’Énergie atomique du Canada limitée, 1975–1994

This article analyzes the institutional transformations of the Crown Corporation Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) between 1975 and 1994. A particular attention is drawn to the process by which the hierarchy of norms was reverted in this company between technological autonomy and commercial performance (Muller 1989). The process was divided into three phases: a first phase of management reorganization, which allowed the redefinition of the company’s strategic orientation and the introduction of financial control mechanisms; a second phase of rationalization, which made it possible to apply budget cuts and abandon certain activities deemed unprofitable; a third phase of divestment, which resulted in the commercialization of R&D and the privatization of certain branches of the company. While the relationship between the federal government and its technological Crown Corporations was one of cooperation and autonomy until the mid-1970s (Hafsi 1983), the “reorganization-rationalization-divestment” cycle analyzed in this paper describes the evolution of this relationship after the “Trente Glorieuses,” when most Canadian technology-oriented Crown Croporations were partially or fully privatized.

This content has been updated on 15 June 2020 at 10 h 02 min.