A mode of operation which is a first in France

The ambition of the project said enough title: tomorrow, "States General management", organized in Paris (1), on the initiative of the Fnege (National Foundation for the teaching of business management) and in partnership with "Les echos", designed to perform a broad overview of managerial science. In distinguishing, for return to the formula of the organizers, "tensions of today and the challenges of tomorrow." And, at the same time, the event will also provide an opportunity for meeting and exchange between researchers and managers or entrepreneurs. All focused on a day which, judging by the program, promises to be particularly dense.

In fact, at this time of financial and economic crisis, the news knocks on the door of the States General. "Major risks, the culture of the result, the standards, restructuring, social responsibility, stress at work..." Obviously, many of the themes to be discussed at the roundtables reflect the questions and concerns of the time, observed Bernard Pras, Professor at the université Paris-Dauphine and the ESSEC business school, and coordinator of the work of Conference. The social concerns or "societal" are widely represented. In a certain way, the crisis is already there, even if these themes were chosen long before the events of autumn.

At the same time, several round tables will also deal less hot, but also current topics: place management training, education, knowledge, revolutions management markets in services...

Also organizers they wanted to make these States General an event that is not disconnected from reality, but brings instead to business leaders and managers work tracks, or even practical solutions. The discussions should lead to concrete proposals for management who are not especially spammy of simple "recipes".

A novel approach

To achieve this, the organizers of the seminar have adopted an original approach. It is indeed the entire community of teachers-researchers in management which has been made to contribution, including through its scientific associations. First to identify the key issues: for several months, each association thus could be "traced" the issues that seemed the most important. This list has been analyzed, criticized, enriched.

Then, the composition of each roundtable was the subject of a subtle mix. "We have sought to obtain eyes crossed, from different disciplines, on treated phenomena", continues Bernard Pras. Thus, major and financial risk Roundtable brings together two financial, an expert in management of organizations, a specialist in public management... With each time "discussing" for focusing on the societal issues.

Finally, stakeholders were invited to write contributions. They were replayed and discussed always in the interests of addressing the substantive issues and make proposals "realistic". "Certain articles, despite their high quality, seemed us a bit too academic and their scope was sometimes obvious step for businesses, says Bernard Pras.". We asked authors of developments. In other words, we conducted, as for an academic symposium, with the same scientific rigor. "A mode of operation which is a first in France.

The result will be far from what would have produced a Cenacle of researchers. As the players are from very diverse backgrounds: they are academics, but also managers "generalists", experts, trade unionists, labour officials...

Mature phase

"It is a remarkable work have done the organizers, said Jacques Igalens, Professor of the University Toulouse 1 hr. They were able to gather on a same plateau almost everything the France product management research. They were able to identify emerging teams and identify the substantive issues. "Present remains to know if the companies respond. On this plan, Jacques Igalens shows more doubtful: this is, according to him, that is the main concern.

"Do meet researchers, teachers and practitioners of land to obtain a certain height of view while remaining rooted in the real, meanwhile note Gontran Lejeune, the President of the Centre of the young leaders, which several members participate in the debates." I hope that these States General will help to advance the ideas on a subject want me to heart: the recognition of the company in all its dimensions: economic, but also social, environmental, societal... The place of business in our society, after all, it is everyone's business. "A point of view that will resonate in the results of the survey conducted by InfraForces (see box).

This is not everything. Beyond the content of the debates themselves (2), these general statements can also feed the reflection on the functioning of the research and its relationship with the company and the company. So they are at a particular time in the history of management. "We have entered a phase of maturity of management science research, finds Jean-Claude Cuzzi, Secretary General of the Fnege." The discipline is today, more than in the past, able to provide answers to current and future society issues.