Corporate Culture and Values: Genesis and Sources of L'oreal's Entrepreneurial Orientation‪.‬

Introduction In France, education excellence, which is regularly assessed through mechanisms of "mathematical Darwinism" (Barsoux and Lawrence, 1991), is a key factor of social success. Degrees obtained in prestigious schools offer a fast track to rewarding professional positions. Elites who come out of ENA, Ecole Polytechnique and the French Grandes Ecoles are traditionally destined to work for the state or large private companies, not to become entrepreneurs. This pattern originates from the traditions and history of this country, culturally influences all the layers of society and shapes the behaviour of French people (e.g. Suleiman, 1977; Crozier, 1982).