Linking research and corporate world, brand new conference cycle!

Why did you decide to create a cycle of conference in Business Management?

EDHEC invests and continues to invest strongly in the development of research: since 2006, five new research centres were created - three of them are in the direct interest of the companies' management (Leadership & Corporate Governance Research Centre, LegalEDHEC, and Marketing Interact)

The purpose of this series of lecture is to teach students and managers with the latest results of research conducted by the research teams of EDHEC in Business Management.

We have programmed in this cycle the most original and recent work, which not only renews the framework of thought about management but also offer new professional practices.

Specifically what happens during conferences?

Each month a conference in Lille, open to all. A presentation by a professor often supplemented by the testimony of an officer and followed by a discussion with students attending.

How can research be of interest to students and businesses?

For students, the attraction is to access a preview of unpublished knowledge, not yet in the textbooks of management! Some examples: the notions of "legal performance" in law, or "managerial legitimacy" in management or even "authentic leadership" are new concepts from the EDHEC research-based.  

As for managers, they are finding new opportunities that may lead them to consider different ways of practice and experiment with new ones. For example, in terms of personal leadership (November conference), of legal management (January conference), of governance (February conference) and of HR practices (May conference)

Why did you decide to organise a conference on such subject?

Through its research centres, EDHEC constantly submits ideas, concepts and new approaches in terms of Marketing, Leadership, Law, Economic or Finance. When developing the conferences' cycle, the objective is to present the latest results from different centres and to encourage a debate between professors, partners and students.

So, we put together several important themes on a monthly basis and we try to offer an original topic or analysis upon economics, social or human issues.

Could you tell us a bit more about the content?

Sure. The Leadership Research Centre whose work focuses on Top executive leadership teams suggested the first conference. We wanted to bring something new on the future of top management teams whose behaviour and responsibility are regularly challenged by the crisis.

The conference took place in two stages and two voices: Valerie Petit, director of the Centre presented at first the results of a research on the determinants of Top executive Legitimacy, which helped to draw the portrayal of a legitimate CEO through the eyes of its teams as well as the list of practices that develop or otherwise reduce the legitimacy of top managers. In a second part, Stéphane Thirion, CEO of Apple France commented on the proposals and highlighted the relevance based on its experience and that of Apple executives.

However, for the conference on the 8th of December, we have had the great chance to host Professor Lisa Peñaloza, debating on Living Capitalism: The structure and Dynamics of Cultural Production in Credit/Debt for the US White Middle Class. Professor Peñaloza is known for her valuable insight on people, markets and consumption behaviours. Moreover, the subject she presented is deeply interesting for understanding the current crisis hitting the US. We always try to present things in light of the news or through an original path.

So, could you give us the programme for the next conferences?

The conferences fall as follow:

·         On 26 January 2010, Company, Law and Performance: the impact of the legislation from the lawyer and management perspectives, with Professor Christophe Roquilly.

·         On 23 February 2010, Conformist Corporate Governance, Ethical and managerial perspectives on the 'comply or explain' principle, with Professors Björn Fasterling and Jean-Christophe Duhamel

·         On 23 March 2010, From Internet to Google's Bill, with Professor Cédric Manara

·         On 27 April 2010, New technologies, new marketing? Analysis from the success story of E-Bay and Meetic, with Professors Guergana Guintcheva and Gaël Bonnin

·         On 25 May 2010, Female top executives, how they reach the Top and they last, with Professor Monique Valcour

I also raise the point that everybody is welcome at the conferences, we tend to develop the exchange beyond the School itself. We aim to glow on the knowledge transmission, to be the main intermediate between the corporate world, the Research and the students. A real synergy.