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International audience; This paper discusses the problematic use of the " pragmatic credo " – defined as a minimal set of basic pragmatist propositions – in practice, especially when facing creation. To do so, we analyze how managers deal with " art-based firms " and provide results from an in-depth case study of a small firm operating in garden art and design (Béjean 2015; Béjean 2008). The findings are interpreted in light of previous theoretical developments in management theory (Hatchuel 2005), as well as symbol theory (Goodman 1968; Goodman 1978). They suggest that, while appearing wise and reasonable, the pragmatic credo as embodied in practical management doctrines rather inhibits collective action and masks the necessary revision of symbolic " orders of action " , defined as the way action is itself pre-categorized by a special class of symbols. The paper concludes by providing further insights of how an " epistemology of action " could contribute to enriching both pragmatism and management, especially when action is no longer the solution to resort to but rather the enigma to unfold.

International audience; In this paper, we present a longitudinal single case study of a firm operating in artistic gardening, in which we examine an original process of co-generation between artistic and managerial practices. Our findings highlight the need of a design-based perspective to solve specific organizational crises that do not belong to the traditional issues of arts administration. Building on evidence from our research, we develop theoretical insights for understanding a design-based management of the art-based firms.