Institutional insights into the adaptation capacities of sectoral communities: evidence from the restructuring of the dairy sectors in France and Germany

Economic transitions are complex and long-term processes that exert pressure not only on individuals and macrostructures but also on collective resources and the communities that manage them. Understanding how communities influence institutional change is of particular interest. This article contributes to the extant literature through a proof of concept: the elaboration of a dynamic, multiscale framework based on JR Commons’ institutionalism, demonstrating the role of sectoral communities in the long-term restructuring of the French and German dairy sectors. This study reveals that sectoral communities contribute in all cases but that the types of resources and scales of operations vary, leading to contrasting pathways. Sectoral shared representations and governance structures frame their activities, favouring the creation and management of collective resources and, thus, supporting their capacities to elaborate productive solutions and to negotiate exchange values. This conclusion is a breakthrough, adding to the knowledge of how mesoeconomic institutions contribute to the structuring of productive activities.