Do you really know Dominique Vian, Associate Professor in Management at SKEMA Business School? Let’s check it out!
The last documentary or academic book that sparked your interest: The book is Creative experience by Marie Parket Follet. The author is a management theorist and philosopher. Although the book was written in 1924, she gives keys to working together and making the most of conflict. I draw two lessons from it. The first one is that we believe that people in past centuries understood less than we do today, and that’s not true. The second one is that, while we live in an age where there is no shortage of conflict, it is possible to overcome it and turn it into a creative moment.
Your favourite fictional character: The character of Heidi. She shows that from childhood, however troubled, we can only be kind to others.
A recent trend or development in your field that has caught your attention: Effectuation theory (Sarasvathy, 2001) has radically changed my understanding of entrepreneurship. You don’t need a vision to be an entrepreneur, you just need to start with yourself and what life has given you. Opportunities don’t have to be found like treasure, they can be created by you, if you value who you are.
The country where you dream to work: France for the quality of its savoir vivre and the freedom that comes with living in a democracy. And its regions are so beautiful.
Your hobby or favourite activity outside of work: Cooking. I’m passionate about Provençal cuisine.
What you like best about SKEMA: SKEMA is the only company I’ve worked for that has allowed me to reveal talents I didn’t know I had. Initially, I knew nothing about teaching and research.
The quote that encapsulates best your approach to entrepreneurial cognition: “In the midst of every crisis, lies great opportunity” Albert Einstein.
The other job you would have liked to do: None other than the one I have. It took me so long to find my way.
The celebrity or researcher you’d like to have dinner with: Herbert Simon (Nobel Price of Economy). My research pursues the concepts he developed on the last paper he wrote before his death, after having written over a thousand.
The most valuable lesson you’ve learned from a research project: Research requires a great deal of humility. The more you understand about your subject, the more you discover what remains to be understood. But I confess that when I come to understand something about certain cognitive abilities to cope with uncertainty, I’m filled with wonder.