Challenging the Research Approach to Sustainability

SHORT BREAKTHROUGHS: Gaza Humanitarian Foundation Challenges UN Bodies and International LawWhile the GHF has closed its doors, could its controversial approach to humanitarian aid be a blueprint for the administrating of Gaza? Law academic Julia Emtseva analyzes this US-Israel initiative and its possible implications for a territory shattered by violence and famine. This is a condensed version of the Breakthroughs first broadcast on November 25. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (the GHF) began operating in late May 2025, much public debate centered on its immediate humanitarian record: the shootings, the chaos near distribution sites, the opaque role of private security companies. But what of the GHF’s impact on international law and conventions, core obligations of an occupying power and very notion of politicizing humanitarian aid? HEC Assistant Professor of Law Julia Emtseva explores these issues as part of her research into private actors in international law and transitional justice. We also hear the opinions of HEC students on these questions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Short of time? Here's an abridged version of the Breakthroughs podcast exchange with HEC strategy professor Aline Gatignon. Her research focuses on the ripple effect of corruption, tracking how scandals reshape cross-sector partnerships between nonprofits and multinationals. The lessons are urgent for any leader whose organization touches public trust, whether in emerging markets or in Western capitals. Often, multinationals turn to nonprofits in times of crisis, funding environmental or social causes to show they’re part of the solution. But are these partnerships real, or just spin? Hear more from Aline as she gives advice to both parties on how to work together. Her research is a story about power, legitimacy, and the resilience of civil society. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When a corporate scandal explodes, like Volkswagen’s Dieselgate or BP’s oil spill, companies scramble to save their reputations. Often, they turn to nonprofits, funding environmental or social causes to show they’re part of the solution. But are these partnerships real, or just spin? Strategy professor Aline Gatignon suggests answers. Her new study uncovers how crises change the way corporations and nonprofits work together - and how nonprofits sometimes resist being used as PR cover. Her research is a story about power, legitimacy, and the resilience of civil society. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

HEC academics Pauline Asmar, Matteo Winkler, Lisa Baudot and Olivier Sibony share with Breakthroughs the books which sustained or transformed their approach to research. For, as the 19th century Scottish philosopher Thomas Carlyle once said: "What we become depends on what we read after all of the professors have finished with us. The greatest university of all is a collection of books." These books are now available in HEC's Learning Center, thanks to the efforts of Elise Thomas: Livres recommandés par nos professeurs-chercheurs - Groupe HEC. Click on this link: https://podcasts.apple.com/fr/podcast/from-huxley-to-frankl-research-academics-pinpoint-their/id1524786528?i=1000723447474. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why should employees articulate your company’s purpose - and not just the firm’s CEO? In this SHORT LISTEN Breakthroughs speaks with Pauline Asmar, a doctoral researcher at HEC Paris, whose groundbreaking work reframes how purpose actually works inside companies. Drawing on data from nearly 60,000 employees across 469 firms, Asmar reveals that it's the middle managers who translate abstract mission statements into daily motivation - not the top brass. We discuss why this “purpose dialogue” at management/worker level is emerging as a vital new lever for team commitment, how companies can fail despite having purpose statements, and what happens when leaders just parrot slogans instead of listening. Plus, how purpose-washing creates skepticism, and what can be done about it. For the full version, go to https://shows.acast.com/knowledgehec/episodes/not-just-parrots-how-middle-managers-bring-purpose-to-life. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why should employees articulate your company’s purpose - and not just the firm’s CEO? In this episode of Breakthroughs, we speak with Pauline Asmar, a doctoral researcher at HEC Paris, whose work reframes how purpose works inside companies, at the level of the teams. The research is co-authored by HEC Professor and Purpose Chair director Rodolphe Durand. Drawing on data from nearly 60,000 employees across 469 firms, Asmar reveals that it's the everyday managers who translate abstract purpose statements by the top brass into daily motivation. We discuss why this “purpose dialogue” at management/worker level is emerging as a vital new lever of team commitment, how companies can fail despite having purpose statements, and what happens when leaders just parrot slogans instead of listening and engaging. We also discuss how purpose-washing creates skepticism, and what can be done about it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This month’s HEC Breakthroughs podcast features the insights by KU Leuven professor Frank Wijen who challenges fellow researchers in sustainability to go deeper and to have greater impact. Here are some of the key points taken from our 30-minute exchange on what Wijen calls “engaged research”. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is academic research into sustainability doing its job, moving the cursor forward in a time of unprecedented climate crisis? It’s a question Professor Frank Wijen discusses in the context of dramatic ecology-related incidents around the globe. “Researchers are taking snapshots and not movies,” he says, and this static orientation is not answering the urgency of real-life crises. Breakthroughs explores possible solutions with the Full Professor of Global Sustainable Strategies from KU Leuven. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’ve heard it a thousand times: diversity is good for business. But what if that familiar line doesn’t stand up to scrutiny or serious research – and, to cap it all, it’s counterproductive? In this SHORT LISTEN version of the HEC Breakthroughs podcast, HEC Paris professor and best-selling author Olivier Sibony explains why the “business case” for diversity may be leading us astray. If we want fairer, smarter organizations, we need to stop trying to change minds - and start redesigning the systems that shape them. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.