Violette Larrieu's thesis defense
Violette Larrieu defended her dissertation, titled “Outsourcing Defense: Between ‘Market Mimicry’ and ‘State Self-Interest’: Aviation Repair and Maintenance Policies During Nicolas Sarkozy’s Five-Year Term (2007–2012),” on Thursday, December 3, 2020, at 2:30 p.m.
Abstract: This political science dissertation examines policies regarding the outsourcing of support activities for the armed forces (catering, aircraft maintenance) in France during Nicolas Sarkozy’s five-year term (2007–2012). This study demonstrates that decisions to outsource reflect the implementation of state reform and the commitment of the responsible actors to streamline their operations. As an instrument of public policy, outsourcing provokes resistance from the affected personnel, including not only military personnel but also—and especially—the labor unions representing civilian staff, leading senior officials and political actors to seek compromises in the selection of managerial tools. This preservation of an “
” capacity to “do” is part of the logic of a restructuring of the state, aimed at better “getting things done.” Our work presents two case studies—the restoration of the armed forces and the maintenance of aeronautical equipment—and is based on 80 semi-structured interviews and a broad corpus of primary sources. This thesis employs public policy analysis to understand the development and implementation of the policies under study, particularly through an approach focused on instruments of public action. By analyzing the practices and beliefs of the actors involved, our thesis offers a fresh perspective on “invisible” policies related to support activities, which have been little explored in the academic literature. It thus helps “demilitarize” defense policies by highlight
ly the role of labor unions and demonstrates the contribution of public policy analysis to the study of defense policies, particularly to understand the transformations of the state currently underway.
Keywords: outsourcing policy, defense policy, defense support activities, public policy, government, streamlining.
