About the S&O Center
The Society and Organizations (S&O) Center is an inter-disciplinary center at HEC Paris whose members research on and teach about the contemporary challenges that organizations face and how these organizations (e.g. firms, NGOs, rating agencies, regulators) mold society.
What is S&O Center?
Contemporary challenges include, but are not limited to, climatic constraints, social inequality, technological disruption, ecological values, ethical imperatives, liberalization, regulation, and more.
The S&O Center’s mission statement is to contribute to our understanding of these phenomena, accompany actors of these transformations, and prepare future generations of managers to lead in these complex environments.
To further anchor HEC Paris strategy of putting social impact at the heart of business policy, the S&O Center cofounded the Movement for Social*Business Impact (MS*BI) in November 9, 2016, in the presence of Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus and top representatives from six multinational companies among whom was Emmanuel Faber, CEO of Danone. This ambitious new initiative aims at contributing to a more inclusive economy, where businesses maximize both their social impact and their business performance.
The S&O Center thus relies on three complementary pillars: Think, Teach, and Act.
Our Members
The S&O Center gathers not only professors from HEC Paris, but also PhD students, research affiliates, research fellows, visiting professors, and members of the HEC staff.
Our Partners
The S&O Center is supported by the HEC Foundation. It manages the Movement for Social*Business Impact launched in November 2016 together with the Action Tank "Social & Business".
S&O History
Common and ambitious project that has grown at HEC Paris since 2003
Creation of the first master degree in France « Master en développement durable »
Creation of the interdisciplinary research center Society & Organizations by Rodolphe Durand
Launch of the Social Business/Enterprise and Poverty Chair with Nobel Prize Muhammad Yunus, and Martin Hirsch, French High Commissionner for Active solidariy against Poverty, supported by Danone
Creation of the Action Tank Social & Business
Launch of the Master Degree MSc in Sustainability and Social Innovation
Union of the 3 pillars under S&O Center’s mission: Think, Teach, Act of an inclusive and sustainable world!
Launch of the Movement for Social*Business Impact with Danone, Renault, Schneider Electric and Sodexo
Launch of the Purposeful Leadership Chair with Hubert Joly Family
S&O Contacts
