This thesis aims to understand the social dynamics that influences actors’ adoption of a SNA tool in an organization. We have conducted multiple-case studies of two French Administrations (Mayoral offices) and an additional single case referred to a French industry BOUYGUES CONSTRUCTION drawing on Crozier and Friedberg’s theory of strategic actor and Bourdieu’s theory of practice. The first principle result is that the adoption of a SNA technology is primarily a socio-political appropriation that occurs through two phases: in the first phase actors discover social capital as a new symbolic capital and in a second phase they use the technology to influence the development of the organizational social capital in order it can serve their own interests. We have also identified that the introduction of a SNAS tool is assigned to different symbolic notions (symbol of the legitimization for control and supervision, symbol of top-management support for the development of transversal work practices, symbol of the rigidity of organizational structure, symbol of the management of informal resource as specific resource, symbol of exclusion) useful to provide legitimacy to the actors’ strategies in organizations. Finally, we highlight that these symbolic notions appear connected to the organizational culture. These key findings have emerged from our multiple-case study and have been reinforced the additional single case studied in BOUYGUES CONSTRUCTION. This single case complements the investigation conducted in the two Mayoral offices.
