Interview of the month

Interview with Professor Gaëtan Mourmant, member of the Business Science Institute Faculty.

Aline : Hello Professor, could you briefly introduce yourself to our readers?
Gaëtan Mourmant : Hello Aline, I’m what you might call a "researcher-entrepreneur". I really like to approach a question from a variety of angles while keeping in mind the importance of rigour in research, as well as its impact through a real-world use of the results.

Aline : So, you’re a professor, a researcher and an entrepreneur. Could you tell us about the different stages in your career and what drives your work?
Gaëtan Mourmant : studied on a 5-year business school programme, specialising in econometrics/statistics. During my dissertation defence, I realised that the model I was presenting was excellent from a research and statistical point of view, but that I did not master it sufficiently due to my lack of practical experience in management and entrepreneurship - I was only 23 years old at the time :-). As a result, I delayed my ambition to pursue research in order to gain managerial and entrepreneurial experience. So, I worked for 4 years as a data scientist for a large financial group where I was involved in the creation of the "customer relationship management" department. At the same time, I set up my own company (www.xlerateur.com) in order to finance a thesis on the topics of information systems and entrepreneurship. It was during this thesis that I discovered the power of the methodology of grounded theory. This allowed me to publish numerous pieces of work (in conferences, journals and books). Following my thesis, a rigorous use of the grounded theory on secondary data resulted in my winning the "Best paper award" at a conference on "Computers and People Research".
This career path - which was a bit pioneering at the time - illustrates, in my opinion, the importance of managerial experience in the pursuit of research. And it is yet another illustration of the rationale behind Business Science Institute.
As an entrepreneur, looking for new opportunities and actively listening to customers are fundamental to the success of my business. The scientific and methodological knowledge that can be acquired on a doctorate programme such as the one run by Business Science Institute allows you to considerably develop this way of doing things. For example, when the grounded theory methodology becomes second nature, our brain constantly conceptualises all the information, which allows us to very quickly identify the main concern and find ways to respond to it. A recent book has been written on this subject by B. Glaser, one of the two founders of the grounded theory (Glaser, 2014).

Aline : Which research topics are you currently working on?
Gaëtan Mourmant : Recently, I've been working a lot on information systems management, entrepreneurship, decision making and grounded theory methodology.
I'm also supervising a number of students on a variety of topics ranging from the economics of the creative industry, artificial intelligence, and the impact of new technologies on the restaurant industry or real estate. Of course, the current health crisis has also reoriented many research topics.
The grounded theory methodology considers that "All is data" (Glaser, 1998). In fact, the classic distinction between qualitative and quantitative data becomes less meaningful, opening the door to a multiplication of viewpoints for a given question. This proliferation of perspectives makes it possible to have a global understanding of a subject without sacrificing the rigour of analysis. It also fits very well with the many types of data that manager-researchers and entrepreneur-researchers have already collected informally and which only need to be analysed to discover the underlying theories (interviews, reports, databases, etc.).

Aline : Could you tell us some more about your company www.xlerateur.com?
Gaëtan Mourmant : It' s a site specialising in the use of Microsoft Excel. We have developed numerous training courses and tools to "XLérer" the productivity of our customers. In fact, a recent development will be presented as part of the grounded methodology course that I will be teaching this year.

Aline : What encouraged you to join Business Science Institute?
Gaëtan Mourmant : Business Science Institute is an extremely dynamic, networked institution that allows us to take advantage of the full range of technological resources we have at our disposal. The network of experts involved in the DBA programme offers seamless access to the best in management research. The institution itself also corresponds exactly to my research philosophy as explained above.

Aline : Based on your experience as a professor and researcher, with a double PhD from Paris Dauphine University and Georgia State University, and as an entrepreneur, what do you think are the advantages of the Business Science Institute's DBA programme for managers?
Gaëtan Mourmant : The opportunity for managers to complete a thesis using their own data and experience is a particularly important aspect in terms of research productivity and impact. It also fits in very well with the wealth of data that manager-researchers and entrepreneur-researchers have already collected informally and which only remains to be analysed to discover the underlying theories (interviews, reports, databases, etc.).
In my opinion, it is this relationship between the data and experience of the doctoral manager on the one hand and the productivity and impact of the research on the other, that will enable management research to make great strides forward. Business Science Institute has understood this perfectly well since such an approach is one of the pillars of the institution. The publication in book form of the best theses is yet more proof of this.

Aline : And to wrap up, given the current context and the experience you've acquired, if you could go back in time with hindsight, which topic would you have chosen for your doctoral thesis?
Gaëtan Mourmant : I think I would have chosen the same topic (how and why do computer scientists decide to leave their jobs and start their own business?). On the other hand, I could have saved 6 months on my thesis by using the classical version of the grounded theory - which I actually discovered at the end of my thesis - instead of the Straussian version (Corbin and Strauss, 2008) that I used in my work. This is one of the reasons why I really enjoy teaching the classical approach to grounded theory, as it is very flexible, productive and efficient in terms of results.

Thank you for your questions and this opportunity to share some of my experience.

I wish all doctoral students, current and future, an excellent time conducting their research, combining pleasure with intellectual curiosity and leading to interesting and impactful results!

Bibliography :

Corbin, J., & Strauss, A. (2008). Strategies for qualitative data analysis. Basics of Qualitative Research. Techniques and procedures for developing grounded theory, 3.
Glaser, B. (2014). Applying grounded theory. The Grounded Theory Review, 13(1), 46-50.
Glaser, B. (1999). G. (1998) Doing grounded theory: issues and discussions. Mill Valley.

Testimonies to face-to-face groups

As part of face-to-face seminars (exceptionally at a distance because of COVID), it was requested, for the second time, that our DBA graduates speak to participants.
This year, Doctors Thierry Lamarque and Frédéric Rozière (Paris 1) will be speaking during the Paris 6 cohort seminars.

Publication of a book in the Business Science Institute Collection at EMS éditions following the completion of your thesis. Eleven books have already been published by our DBAs.
Publication of your thesis and the possibility of benefitting from the Business Science Institute Associate Researcher status. 10 graduates so far!
Participation in the writing of a book to be published in September 2021. Our DBA graduates are invited to write a text on one of the following topics:

Why a DBA?
Choice of topic, research question and choice of research supervisor,
Research methodologies,
Thesis supervision,
Writing the thesis and final deliverables,
Thesis defence,
Life after the thesis.

Please send your final texts to Caroline.

Enrolment on the Business Science Institute / FNEGE post-doctoral programme
Communication with other Alumni via the monthly newsletter: Through the newsletter, we invite doctors to tell us about the progress they have made in their work, their writings, their aspirations, their achievements, etc.

Please feel free to contact the Alumni team:

caroline@business-science-institute.com
+33 7 60 73 42 15
We’d love to hear your news and your suggestions!

NEWS

In 2021, Doctor Thierry Lamarque Lamarque will be organising a series of 20 "ALTHEO Live" videoconferences on the subject of company takeovers.
Registration is free, compulsory and limited to 100 participants per session.
Registration

Interview with Frédéric Rozière, Paris n°1 (2016-2019)

Aline : Hello Doctor, could you introduce yourself briefly to our readers?
Frédéric Rozière : I have an MBA followed by a DBA and 25 years of professional experience in France and abroad. I manage the Aviséconseil.com Group, which specialises in advice on the prevention of occupational risks and disputes; I am also a court-appointed mediator at the Paris Court of Appeal and in international organisations. At the same time, I have been a director of the CPME, advisor and section chairman at the Industrial Tribunal (Conseil des Prud'hommes) since 2008.

Aline : Why did you choose to do your DBA at Business Science Institute?
Frédéric Rozière :  Business Science Institute offers a number of advantages for supporting doctoral students right through to the defence: a scientific committee made up of experienced professors who are well versed in the specific needs of doctoral management students, the support of a doctor in charge of bibliographical documentation, an international faculty of more than 120 professors who are experts in the field of management, the friendly and efficient programme support team and also the Saper and Praxis Alumni Association, which includes graduates and students from Business Science Institute.
The international recognition of the DBA qualification was also a criterion of choice for me: Business Science Institute is a member of EFMD, AMBA accredited, ranked 4th DBA worldwide, 28 books have been published and are available in English, German and French. By working internationally in these 3 languages, Business Science Institute meets all my selection criteria.

Aline :  Your thesis, defended in 2020 under the supervision of Professor Françoise Chevalier, focuses on non-violent communication and emotional intelligence. Could you tell us more?
Frédéric Rozière : From a managerial point of view, Professor Françoise Chevalier and I thought it was time in 2020 to update the notion of "human capital", seen no longer as a stock of knowledge to be interchanged between individuals, but as "emotional capital" to be taken into consideration for the development of individuals to serve the success of organisations.
More specifically, during my career, I have found that the communication and the handling of emotions are key aspects of management and particularly in dispute management. As Brandon Turner, researcher at the Department of Psychology at Ohio State University (USA) reminds us, "many of society's ills are linked to a lack of self-control". Professor Daniel Goleman, for his part, enlightens us on the fact that "Taking advantage of a dispute before it turns into a conflict requires a well-developed emotional intelligence". More specifically, during my career, I have found that the communication and the handling of emotions are key aspects of management and particularly in dispute management. As Brandon Turner, researcher at the Department of Psychology at Ohio State University (USA) reminds us, "many of society's ills are linked to a lack of self-control". Professor Daniel Goleman, for his part, enlightens us on the fact that "Taking advantage of a dispute before it turns into a conflict requires a well-developed emotional intelligence".
This is why we were interested in emotional intelligence and how we could improve it through NVC training. Some results confirm mainstream thinking, others are unexpected and counter-intuitive.

Aline :  What have the benefits of the DBA been for you?
Frédéric Rozière : On a personal level, I learned what the words rigour, discipline and patience mean. I have seen that my organisational skills are sufficient to manage both my professional activity and the thesis, and I am quite proud to have been able to successfully organise all my activities simultaneously. I have to say that my wife deserves 50% of the credit because without her I would never have succeeded.
I am immensely grateful to my thesis supervisor, Professor Françoise Chevalier, and deeply grateful for her sound advice, which enabled me to leave behind the common sense that Christian Morel calls "ordinary knowledge" (Morel, 1992).
Professionally, the programme has brought added value to my professional career path. In the consulting field, I am now able to offer a dual expertise: one part comes from my experience just like any coach, but the other comes from my ability to take a critical perspective on situations, just like any researcher. In the consulting world, mastering both the "language of managers" and that of academia is a real differentiating factor.

Aline :  Do you have other projects in the pipeline?
Frédéric Rozière : As Professor Jean-Philippe Denis put it at the end of my thesis defence, "At a time when society is turning wild", this topical subject and our managerial implications are of great interest to managers. We therefore plan to publish our work in the form of books and articles, in English, German and French. To do so, I have enrolled on the Post-DBA programme offered by Business Science Institute, FNEGE and IAE Bordeaux.
The combination of professional experience in the field combined with the scientific contribution of my thesis, has allowed me to stand out in the field of consulting and to make presentations to executives and leaders of private, public, governmental and trade union organisations. I deliver conferences, webinars and training courses aimed at measuring and improving the emotional intelligence of individuals in organisations.

Aline :  What advice would you give to managers who wish to embark upon the Executive DBA?
Frédéric Rozière : In fact, I recently gave a talk to the students in Paris cohort n°6 about my experience as an Executive DBA participant. I know exactly what they're going through and the path they're going to take. I gave 10 tips for success but also went into some detail about the internal support mechanisms at Business Science Institute (see above). I also mentioned some very interesting sources of financial aid, a secretariat service for transcribing the interviews and a company specialising in processing quantitative and qualitative data. I recommended that they use as many resources as possible.
But at the same time, what is important to remember is that their best asset is themselves!