Les Jeunes - Tbscope

Jacques Igalens (1) has been the new Research Director
Toulouse Business School since January 1 st, 2011. His
mission: boost the Research Policy and strengthen the links
between Research Professors and companies.
TBScope : You have held this position for four months.
How do you see research at Toulouse Business School?
Jacques Igalens : When I joined the school, I took time to
examine the Management Research Centre and its results
objectively. I made two observations. Toulouse Business
School has a good research potential thanks to the Research
Professors, who are well integrated and acknowledged
in the academic community. However our working
environment is becoming more and more competitive
towards business schools but also towards Universities. If
Toulouse Business School was one of the first Management
schools to get involved in Management research, it is
now competing with a vast number of schools which
have improved greatly over the last three or four years.
Therefore, we have to regain our lead.
TBScope : How are you planning on reaching your goal?
J. I. : Efforts will be initiated in two directions. First of
all, we must strengthen our links with companies. It is
something Toulouse Business School realized and we
therefore developed research fields, which meet the
expectations of the competitive clusters of the region
and of all the companies that trust Toulouse Business
School. But we have to meet the requests of companies
even better and develop our participation in national and
international competitions in the framework of tenders
related to research. The second point is the academic
world. With one goal: increase the number of publications
in international magazines. These publications are
essential in order to get accreditations and to have a good
position in the different rankings.
TBScope : Professors of Toulouse Business School
are significantly involved in research. How do
you intend to urge them to do even more?
J. I. : First of all, by intrinsic motivation: our researchers have
a real social utility and have to feel proud to contribute to the
advancement of knowledge. Then, it is our role to recognize
their results, but also to create a state of mind and a culture
which increase the status of research, by hosting international
congresses for instance. Furthermore, we will strengthen the
existing connections between academic and contract research,
in order to increase awareness of the concrete solutions that we
provide to contractors and company directors. Finally, we have
to make better use of one of our assets, which is our partnership
with the “Ecole doctorale de Sciences de Gestion” (Doctoral
school of Management), for example by integrating even more
PhD students. This is a real guarantee of quality for our school.
BIO express
With a degree from ESSEC Business School, IEP Political
Science School in Paris and a PhD in Management, Jacques
Igalens created and managed a human resources consultancy
for ten years, before starting working as a teacher in 1988. He
is an associate Professor for Universities and IAE (Insitute of
Administration of Enterprises) in Toulouse, and was Vice-
President of Toulouse 1 Capitole University- in charge of
Sustainable Development- until the end of 2010, in charge
of the editing of “Revue de l’Organisation Responsible”
(Responsible Organization magazine). Jacques Igalens is
also the President of Honor of IAS (International Institute of
Social Audit) and of AGRH (Association of Human Resources
Management), which he created in 1989. He has just been
appointed Officer in the Order of Academic Palms.
(1) Jacques Igalens is the author of various books including “Audit Social” (Social Audit) (EO, 2007), "Tous DRH " (All Human Resources Managers) (EO, 2006), "Tous
responsables" (All responsible) (EO, 2004), "L'audit des ressources humaines" (The audit of Human Resources) (Liaisons, 2001).He recently published "Vers une nouvelle
gouvernance des entreprises, l'entreprise face à ses parties prenantes" (Towards a new management of companies, the company facing stakeholders) (Dunod, 2009)
and "La sûreté éthique, du concept à l’audit opérationnel " (Ethical security, from the concept to operational audit) (Ed. Management et Société, 2010).
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