About
Lecturer in Management Sciences – HDR - MOMA – University of Montpellier
MRM Member – Montpellier Research Management – Discipline CNU 06
Research Associate at IRCCF, HEC Montréal, Canada.
Email
thuy.seran@umontpellier.fr
Education
2019
HDR (Habilitation to conduct researches) , University of Montpellier
2003
DESCF, Master's-Level Diploma in Accountancy and Finance
1997
MBA, CFVG, Vietnam
2012
Ph.D. in Management Sciences, University of Montpellier, Very honourable distinction with unanimous congratulations from the jury
1999
HEC diploma, Paris
RESEARCH THEMES AND PROJECTS
Our research program lies at the intersection of strategic management and information systems, with a particular emphasis on examining the relationship between management control and emerging tensions in the research field in the banking sector.
MAIN RESULTS & CONTRIBUTIONS.
In our thesis work (2009-2012) we show the growing importance of meta-organizations and the specificity of the management and control of inter-organizational information systems. Using an in-depth analysis of two case studies of information systems adoption – within Caisses d'Épargnes and the Crédit Agricole group, we identify the main tensions and challenges of information systems adoption, as well as as the roles, activities and connecting objects that facilitate the implementation and coordination of these complex projects (Séran et al. 2022).
The work as an extension of our thesis focuses on the traditional control system before the digital era. The results indicate how informal control mechanisms develop and combine with formal control mechanisms (Séran et al. 2016). Cooperation between internal units or competing subsidiaries to develop economies of scale or to innovate is becoming a common phenomenon; our results highlight the importance of combinations of control tools to manage internal coopetitive tensions. For the first time, the management control perspective is applied in the field of managing cooperative tensions (Séran et al., 2023)
Apart from studies in management control, we are involved in the writing of two articles in the field of corporate finance. In the article Van Hoang, TH, Gurău , C., Lahiani , A., & Séran, T. (2018) for example, we seek to know whether the 2008 global crisis impacts the capital structure of very small companies via a comparison of balance sheet elements of 4945 companies over two periods: before (2003-2007) and during (2008-2013). Our results indicate that micro-enterprises survived by relying mainly on internal sources of financing. External leverage is reduced because increased information asymmetry and default risk raise the cost of debt. If necessary, micro-businesses sell underutilized or unnecessary tangible assets, focusing on their core competency and developing their intangible assets: people skills, advertising, networking, brand name and awareness.
CURRENT RESEARCH PROGRAM
Since 2017, our work has been moving towards the renewed control system for the digital era. Our first results indicate the essential role of control devices in digital transformation. For the first time, rivalry between BUs is addressed within the framework of open innovation. We call this internal rivalry the “ back-end problem of multi-unit organizations ” and develop a framework to overcome it (Séran and Bez , 2021).
Articles currently being submitted
Redon, M. et Séran, T.
2023
The challenges and nature of the evolution of the role of management controller with regard to technological transformations, first revision in the journal Accounting, Control, Audit , FNEGE 2, HCERES A.
Do, T., Le Roy, F. & Séran, T.
2023
Cooperation between global and local firms in emerging markets : a coopetition approach The case in Vietnam. Revue ciblée : British journal of management, FNEGE 2.
Séran, T. Matinez I. Gurau C. & Naro, G.
2023
The dynamic evolution of hybrid organizations, the case of French cooperative banks. Revue ciblée : Voluntas. FNEGE 4
Séran, T.
2024
The renewal of control in the era of AI, article currently being written Targeted review : Revue Française de Gestion , FNEGE 2
PUBLICATIONS IN SCIENTIFIC JOURNALS
Séran, T., Fernandez, A. S., & Chappert, H.
2023
Managing coopetition in multi-unit organizations: a management-control perspective. Review of Managerial Science, 1-36. FNEGE 4, HCERES C.
Séran, T., Gurău, C., & Pellegrin-Boucher, E.
2022
Information systems’ adoption in meta-organizations. Procedia Computer Science, 204, 440-447.
Séran, T., & Bez, S. M.
2021
Open innovation’s “multiunit back-end problem”: How corporations can overcome business unit rivalry. California Management Review, 63(2), 135-157, CNRS 2, FNEGE 2, HCERES A
Benkraiem R., Van Hoang, T. H., Gurău, C., Lahiani, A., & Séran, T.
2021
Bank leverage choices of French SMEs: A quantile analysis. International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, Vol. 43, No. 4, FNEGE 4.
Van Hoang, T. H., Gurău, C., Lahiani, A., & Séran, T.
2018
Do crises impact capital structure? A study of French micro-enterprises. Small Business Economics, 50(1), 181-199. CNRS 2, FNEGE 2, HCERES A.
Séran, T., Pellegrin-Boucher, E., & Gurău, C.
2016
The management of coopetitive tensions within multi-unit organizations. Industrial Marketing Management, 53, 31-41. CNRS 2, FNEGE 2, HCERES A.
RESEARCH VISITS
HEC Montréal, Institut international des coopératives (IRCCF)
Juin 2016 et Mai 2017
Since our stay at HEC Montréal, we have become a research associate and have organized two conferences in Montpellier: in April 2018 on qualitative methods and publication strategy, led by Professor Ann Langley, and in May 2018 on the theme of finance , hosted by Professor Rym Ayadi. In May 2023, we welcomed Professor Inmaculada Buendía Martínez from the University of Castilla-La Mancha in Spain. This visit resulted in numerous research projects, including the signing of an agreement between the two universities as well as the co-direction of a special journal and the writing of numerous research articles.
BERKELEY, Californie, USA
21 avril 2019 à 5 Mai 2019
During this stay, we presented our research work during two seminars led by Henry Chesbrough. These seminars contributed to the development of a research article published in the California Management Review, and since then we have regularly participated as reviewers for that journal.
THESIS SUPERVISION
Thesis in management control
We are co-directors with Professor Gérald Naro of the thesis of Mr. Amjad MENOUER, winner of the ANR AXIAUM program whose theme is “the integration of Artificial Intelligence in strategic banking management control processes”, thesis unfortunately arrested in May 2023 for personal reasons .
Transdisciplinary thesis Control-International Strategy-IS
We are co-directors with Professor Frédéric Le Roy of the thesis of Ms. Do Bich Thuy, winner of the Labex 2018 competition whose theme is " A multilevel analysis of knowledge transfer between multinational companies and local companies in emerging economies: the case of IT service companies in Vietnam " whose defense is scheduled for November 28, 2023.
Thesis in management control, in relation to the Hospitality and Tourism sector which I co-direct
We are co-director with Mr. Hervé Chappert of the thesis of Mr. Elie AKOURY “Pricing and non-pricing strategies, online review scores and performance of hotel revenue management” (2nd year) We are co- supervised thesis director Mr. Zouhair ZARHLOUL with Mrs. MRANI ZENTAR Sarra from CADI AYYAD University-Marrakech-Morocco on “The contribution of internal audit in improving the effectiveness of internal control in the Moroccan hotel sector »
We are co-directors with Mr. Hervé Chappert of Ms. Sandrine Mathieu's thesis entitled: “Tourism management: the case of mountain resorts” (1st year)
We are members of 7 thesis monitoring committees.
SCIENTIFIC RESPONSIBILITY
We are co-responsible for the innovation axis of the Accounting and Companies research group, Montpellier Research in Management laboratory. This axis aims to develop the study of digital management control systems by deepening the concepts of interactive control, ambidextrous control, etc.
With my colleagues from this HEC Montréal Institute of Cooperative Banks, since 2022 we have been coordinating a special issue aimed at broadening knowledge on key cooperative topics. This special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050 Rank Q2 Impact factor 3.9) entitled “Cooperating for change: roles, potentials and challenges of cooperatives in the decade before the Sustainable Development Goals”, section “Social ecology and sustainability”.
With my colleagues from this HEC Montréal Institute of Cooperative Banks, since 2022 we have been coordinating a special issue aimed at broadening knowledge on key cooperative topics. This special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050 Rank Q2 Impact factor 3.9) entitled “Cooperating for change: roles, potentials and challenges of cooperatives in the decade before the Sustainable Development Goals”, section “Social ecology and sustainability”.
PEDAGOGICAL AND OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES
We were for 5 years Educational Manager of the DUSCG (2013-2017), training which prepares students for the DSCG exams in the Chartered Accounting sector and supervised between 50-70 approval notices per year. Since 2014, in close collaboration with the Order of Regional Chartered Accountants and the Rectorate of the Montpellier Academy, we have chaired each year the national jury for the Higher Diploma in Accounting and Management of the Montpellier Academy, EU 2 Finance and are a member of the jury for UE 3. Management and management control and UE 7. Professional relations.
We have co-directed the Hospitality-Tourism sector of our Institute since 2018, a sector involving training from bachelor's to doctoral degrees, initial training and apprenticeship, face-to-face and e-learning. This sector has been labeled Training of Excellence in Hospitality and Tourism since 2021, a label co-signed by 7 French ministries.
For 10 years, we have participated in the maintenance and development of three joint e-learning training courses with Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie and one joint training course with the CNED. As part of this training, we have been developing a partnership with the UNHCR (UN Refugee Agency) for three years to award scholarships to students with refugee status.
We have co-directed the Hospitality-Tourism sector of our Institute since 2018, a sector involving training from bachelor's to doctoral degrees, initial training and apprenticeship, face-to-face and e-learning. This sector has been labeled Training of Excellence in Hospitality and Tourism since 2021, a label co-signed by 7 French ministries.
For 10 years, we have participated in the maintenance and development of three joint e-learning training courses with Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie and one joint training course with the CNED. As part of this training, we have been developing a partnership with the UNHCR (UN Refugee Agency) for three years to award scholarships to students with refugee status.
Contact
thuy.seran@umontpellier.fr