With diversified experience spanning several sectors in Switzerland, including watchmaking, automotive and aerospace since 2011, Mustafa Semlali has had the opportunity to explore various sectors of the business, acquiring multidisciplinary experience. Building on this experience, he recently joined a watch manufacturer as manager, putting his versatility and expertise in the field to good use.
He will be defending his Executive Doctorate of Business Administration (EDBA) in March 2024, under the supervision of Professor Rémi Bourguignon at IAE Paris-Est. His research focuses on “Relational governance. Development of a development process in the Swiss context”.
Thesis Direction
Pr Rémi Bourguignon
Thesis Title
Facing up to the challenges of efficiency in public and semi-public enterprises in a southern country: evidence from Chad
Abstract
This thesis focuses on a critical challenge in Swiss corporate governance and business: managing conflicts of interest and cognition between directors who are not shareholders (DNoS) and shareholders. At the heart of this challenge, we recognize the crucial importance of interpersonal relationships in the professional world. However, these relationships are often subject to the risk of conflict.
The field of study of governance is based on a set of practices designed to prevent such conflicts, mainly inspired by agency theory (Jensen and Meckling, 1976). In addition to normative practices, theoretical models of governance have addressed conflict prevention by integrating cognitive and emotional aspects. However, little attention has been devoted to interpersonal relations within the field of study of corporate governance. This thesis aims to fill this gap by proposing a process for developing the interpersonal relationship between DNoS and shareholders. In addition, the exploratory study we carried out among Swiss DNoS demonstrated a need for practices to develop their relationship with shareholders : «We’re on an ejector seat»2.
To this end, we explored the field of governance, targeting the factors that trigger conflict within the relationship between DNoS and the shareholder. At the same time, we identified the prevention strategies associated with these conflicts. Our focus was particularly on the relational dimension of governance. In addition, to complete our literature review, we delved deeper into the field of interpersonal relations, in both the social and management sciences. Our aim was not only to identify the elements of conflict prevention in a relationship, but also to identify the development measures already in place.
This extensive literature helped us to generate an initial outline of the process by combining prevention factors and measures. This process is made up of input elements, a sequential process guided by resources and management, leading to output elements aimed at strengthening the interpersonal relationship.
The second stage of our research consisted in gathering the DNoS knowledge through semi-structured interviews and a questionnaire. This approach enabled us to identify the predominant context of their relationships, as well as the characteristics that define them. These data provided us with the keys to evolving our initial process and, from the outset, formulating targeted recommendations for each governance actor, aimed at strengthening these relationships crucial to corporate sustainability.
Our recommendations aim to:
1.Encourage transparent communication to build trust ;
2.Invest in building relationship management skills through ongoing trainingfor DNoS and shareholders ;
3.Initiate a team-building approach ;
4.Develop an «Action-man» shareholder-manager training program ;
5.Integrate external administrators with technical skills ;
6.Create a “Round Table” for open and transparent communication ;
7.Formalize a relationship charter to define the values and guiding principlesof DNA-shareholder interactions ;
8.Set up mediation mechanisms to manage conflicts constructively ;
9.Develop good governance practices around management and concretepractices
10.Creating a label for quality governance
The application of these recommendations is aimed at improving governance, which in turn contributes to stronger overall corporate performance, better decision-making, increased motivation and greater responsiveness to challenges. However, it is important to note that these recommendations are not universal solutions and require adaptation to the particularities of each company. This thesis invites us to take a closer look at the relational dimension of governance. The aim is to encourage corporate players to recognize the crucial importance of the quality of their interactions for the overall success of their organization. It also encourages researchers, practitioners and regulators to further explore this area to promote constructive interpersonal relationships in the context of Swiss companies.