The ESSEC Research Center (CERESSEC)

Research is one of the core missions of ESSEC’s faculty. Created in 1969, the CERESSEC’s main mission is to implement the school’s research strategy, and to provide financial and logistical resources to our researchers in Cergy and Singapore. Through its intense research activity, comprising more than 900 articles, chapters and books published over the past five years, ESSEC produces knowledge, concepts, and management tools to meet the challenges of organizations in the 21st century.

The importance of research

We see the creation of knowledge as the first step in a virtuous process. Research contributes to a rich and up-to-date learning environment for students, and a stimulating work environment for our faculty. Over time, research leads to an increase in our expertise and our reputation, attracting the best students who will go on to make their mark in organizations and in society. The development of this community helps the school trigger another cycle of development and creation of expertise.

ESSEC strives for an institutional culture that favors the creation of high-quality research. We recruit in the international job-market young and seasoned researchers hailing from some of the most prestigious academic institutions worldwide. We provide incentives and support for publications, workshop organization, faculty exchanges, and academic conference presentations. We encourage diversity and experimentation, having a diverse set of disciplines, ranging from sociology and psychology to applied mathematics and medicine, being represented in our faculty.

Our achievements

In the last five years, our scholars have published in many prestigious academic journals, including the Academy of Management Journal, Academy of Management Review, Accounting Organizations and Society, Administrative Science Quarterly, American Economic Review, American Journal of Sociology, Annals of Statistics, Information Systems Research, Journal of Applied Psychology, Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Journal of Financial Economics, Journal of International Business Studies, Journal of Marketing, Journal of the American Statistical Association, Management Science, MIS Quarterly, Operations Research, Organization Science, RAND Journal of Economics, Review of Financial Studies, and Strategic Management Journal.

Over the same period, ESSEC professors were awarded 57 prizes and distinctions, and presented their work in more than 980 academic conferences. In its 2019 evaluation, the French national agency for research evaluation (HCERES) hailed ESSEC’s “remarkable scientific production”, stating that ESSEC is "one of the top three French leaders in terms of research visibility and recognition".

Research strategy 2020-2025

In 2019, the school has elaborated a new research strategic plan meant to reinforce ESSEC’s attractiveness, productivity, and impact. The framework consists of five major transdisciplinary themes, all centered around a common denominator:

How the current unprecedented rate of environmental, societal, and technological (E.S.T.) change affects all the actors, functions, and stakeholders within and around organizations.

E.S.T. trends interact and potentially reinforce each other. Their systemic nature means that businesses cannot act in isolation and must coordinate through industry-wide and economy wide coalitions. E.S.T. challenges also provide some of the most promising business opportunities of the next decades. Technologies such as biodegradable plastics, smart fertilizers, and electricity storage solutions are key to address environmental challenges. Nanomaterials and biotechnologies can help address aging and healthcare issues. Financial inclusion represents a massive untapped opportunity. Developing the management tools to assess and implement these opportunities should be a major goal of the organizations of the 21st century.