Inclusive Economy Conference Unites Management Scholars and Practitioners to Reduce Inequalities and Social Divisions

Refugees and global migration; access to health; social connectivity. These were just a few of the issues explored at the second HEC Inclusion Day, organized by the Sustainability & Organizations Institute (S&O). This annual event showcases research on the intersection between social issues, inequalities, impact and management. As with last year, the event included breakout discussions over experiments to help organizations address concrete social challenges. Practitioners at the daylong event joined in to see how research from several continents could answers these challenges.

The FIAP in central Paris was an appropriate venue for the second edition of Inclusive Economy (IE) Day. This “Foyer International d’Accueil de Paris – Jean Monnet” was originally the brainchild of French intellectuals, politicians and resistance fighters aiming to build a Europe open to the world, to fight racism and promote cultural exchanges between young people from around the world. 66 years after the FIAP opened its doors, well over 100 academics and practitioners from around the world exchanged research and visions which would have flattered the prophetic approach of FIAP’s pioneers.

Over the course of seven sessions, they discussed ways of transforming society through research-based practices implemented by major companies. These ranged from tapping into high-skilled refugees’ knowhow (Dan Wang), to the impact of peers’ work styles on expert behavior (Carlos Inoue), or addressing the persistent underrepresentation of women in entrepreneurship, especially in innovative and capital-intensive fields (Naja Pape).

The Adecco Approach to Integration

“We need other companies to stand up and say: ‘Okay, you know what? Integrating the unemployed, integrating refugees and the marginalized, does actually work.” Not the kind of words or approaches one would expect from a senior manager from a multinational that has provided jobs to 16,000 people with refugee status. Yet, the Adecco Group France’s Raphaëlle Thirion is not your typical senior manager. She has been the Operating Manager of the Humando business unit for over five years, mobilizing resources and recruits, training them, and finding employment for the most marginalized of unemployed people. These can range from refugees to former convicts and the long-term unemployed: “It doesn’t have to be all about confrontation and cultural shock,” she confides after the 11-hour conference. “It can work. We’ve proven it, time and time again,” During this intense day of deliberation, Thirion chaired the first session and a workshop entitled “Investing in Refugees”. The proof of a successful program, she said, lie in the figures. In France alone, it integrated 4,600 long-term unemployed and 3,000 refugees successfully integrated the workforce as a result of Humano’s guidance: “We deal with absolutely every social issue which could constitute an impediment to work: a solid roof over people’s head, training, a decent living style – this is a holistic approach we are working on for people who are invisible in society and at the workplace.”

Raphaëlle Thillion, Operating Manager of the Humando business unit

Impact of Refugee Presence

Raphaëlle Thirion followed up her presentation by chairing fascinating opening session on refugees and global migration. It built on a January 23 HEC conference in London shedding light on the complex realities of forced migration and the imperative for businesses to play a positive role in this global challenge. At the FIAC the panel began with a trailblazing work by Anselm Hager from Humboldt University. He spent two years in northern Lebanon to see what impact forced migration has on social capital both inside and outside the group. Hager’s research centered on a face-to-face survey where he used a simulation to estimate perceptions of Trust, Reciprocity, Altruism and Cooperation. The survey simulated a game where respondents would be able to hypothetically benefit individuals from other population groups: Syrians, Lebanese, or migrant Palestinians (refugees). The results indicated that exposure to refugees led to what he called “pro-social behavior” towards the migrants: “Despite the staggering increase in the number of refugees, largely from Syria, Lebanon has been far more effective in accepting them and organizing their resources for efficient cohabitation.” This, Hager explained is due to resource mobilization, and the creation of networks to encourage contact. “There has been a positive spillover effect on Lebanon and Palestinian communities, and there is no feeling of threats on the local culture or resources.”