Patterns and coordination of collective action in small and very small business: the case of a tourist village in the Pyrenees

Often, to overcome its structural lack of resources, small firms may find in collective actions an alternative to acquire, exploit and benefit from exterior resources, neither loosing autonomy nor making heavy investments. As in any other cooperation, forms of collective actions may be diverse and motives varied. The purpose of this paper is to analyse patterns and modes of coordination of collective actions in small and very small businesses. As a result of our exploratory research, of the practices in a village in the French Pyrenees, it appears that depending on the initiative of the collective action, modes of coordination are different. If the action arises through the initiative of the businesses ("pro-active actions"), the coordination is essentially based on trust. Further, if the action emanates from an institution ("reactive actions"); there may be no direct links between the firms, and the same institution will play a central role in their relations.