Integrating complexity into the issue of territorial development through an entrepreneurial posture of elected officials : The case of Destination Amnéville SPL[Intégrer la complexité dans la question du développement territorial par une posture entrepreneuriale des élus : Le cas de la SPL Destination Amnéville]

The purpose of this research is to study the link between complexity and strategy in the context of a local authority. Based on a single case study and adopting a participant observation approach, we question how a local elected official integrates the complexity of the situations encountered in his public action. To do so, we have come up with the research proposal that the adoption of a political-entrepreneur stance based on the concept of entrepreneurial orientation is better able to integrate this complexity. On the benefits of our participant observation and by alternating theory and field work we make two major findings. We first observe that adopting complexity thinking serves the strategy by allowing to incorporate new elements as and when they occur, to make it possible to build a strategy on the go and to facilitate the cooperation between the actors. We also note that a posture of political entrepreneur based on the concept of entrepreneurial orientation adapted to the non-profit sector enables the complexity to be effectively integrated in the quest for innovation, proactivity and empowers risk taking.