Cedric Dalmasso

FOR 1A - S1

Guest Lecturer

FOR 1A - S2

Guest Lecturer

FOR 2A - S3

Guest Lecturer

Business and Industrial Management

Course Director

Various corroborating sources point out that first-year engineering students have a misguided perception of the business world and the industrial sector (whether in France or globally). Based on this observation, we can note that the ideas traditionally associated with business or industry oscillate between two perceptions, each as erroneous as the other: on the one hand, a fully Taylorized world that, in the collective unconscious, evokes the “Modern Times” of Charles Chaplin. While this environment has not completely disappeared (we are thinking in particular of certain international sites or service activities in France such as call centers), numerous organizational responses have been implemented since the 1930s (semi-autonomous teams based on versatility, job rotation, self-monitoring of quality, empowering workers, etc.). On the other hand, a fully automated world where operators would no longer be present. Generally speaking, this gradual disappearance of operators is not entirely unfounded. An INSEE study shows that in 2010, there were barely more than 6 million blue-collar workers in France. This trend is a consequence of the decline in industry, and it is interesting to note that it was the least-skilled segment of this workforce that was most affected, at least until the mid-1990s. Nevertheless, blue-collar workers still account for one in five jobs in the French economy, and it is reasonable to assume that this percentage is much higher on a global scale. Beyond these generalizations, a more robust observation is in order. The corporate world and the industrial world are neither homogeneous nor static. The work carried out by La Fabrique de l’Industrie clearly highlights the diversity of industrial reality (see L’indus’Trip, Dimitri Pleplé’s Logbook) and the transformation efforts underway (let us consider, as a prime example of these efforts, all the initiatives carried out under the banner of the “industry of the future”). It therefore seems important to offer students the opportunity to better understand, on the one hand, the world of manual labor and the role of the worker, and on the other hand, the diversity of the industrial world. The goal is to prepare students and equip them intellectually so that they are able to reflect on the transformation underway while taking into account the role of people (and more specifically that of unskilled operators performing manual tasks). These issues are of the utmost importance and affect not only employment and the competitiveness of the French economy but also, as a prerequisite, the design of industrial organizations and, more generally, businesses. The various forms of performance (quantity, quality, cost, lead time, diversity, innovation, etc.) that we collectively seek to achieve are examined, including, of course, psychosocial performance, which is linked to issues of health and quality of life at work. It is important to emphasize that the mythical figure of the “man on the production line”—the worker in blue overalls—is no longer central, but the issues raised remain highly relevant today. Manual labor has expanded into other sectors; half of all manual workers are employed in the service sector, 15% are in construction, and their numbers are growing in certain fields such as logistics. In this sense, the manual labor internship and its educational framework cannot be confined to the industrial sector but must address a broader range of activities (which is already the case today). Nevertheless, the rationalization methods used in industry have spread widely. In this sense, an industrial foundation remains highly relevant. The teaching team is currently working to clarify the relevant scope of activities to offer students and the nature of the positions to be selected. As we can see, the challenges are significant, and the “Introduction to Business and Industrial Management Issues” module provides students with their first opportunity to engage with these issues. In particular, the goal is to help them understand the reality of hands-on work—its characteristics, organizational structure, and management systems—in other words, to recognize the degree to which the work is prescriptive (or highly structured). This introduction to the business world through operational work is an essential component of the education of future engineers. The goal is gradually to help students understand the interrelationship between the workstation, the industrial and organizational system in which it is embedded, the challenges of managing people, as well as the diversity of industrial and organizational structures and their artificial (non-natural) nature. It also aims to highlight the role of engineers in these transformations. The evolution of industrial systems and management methods conclude the module and serve as a bridge to the courses in the second and third years, particularly the transformation of today’s industry into the industry of the future.

Organizational Design and Dynamics

Course Director

Student Engagement in the Course. The course draws on a set of case studies from recent action research projects involving significant organizational changes, as well as a few emblematic cases selected from the literature. Students play an active role. Each session is prepared by reading a dossier containing various documents: a case presentation (describing the initial situation, the intended goals, and possible scenarios without specifying the final outcome), texts offering analytical frameworks, and texts discussing the merits of new forms of organization. These documents are to be read by everyone: they form the common basis for discussion. For each session and each dossier, a group of students prepares the case: analysis of the problem, possible organizational scenarios, foreseeable risks, critical uncertainties, and strategies for action and support.

Economic Analysis

Course Director

Investment Selection Criteria Comparison Between Investment and Loan Choosing Among Alternatives with a Fixed Investment Budget Accounting Tools Principles and Practices of General Accounting Principles and Practices of Cost Accounting Economic Tools in Business—From Theory to Practice Case Studies: Accounting Policies, Actual Expenses Incorporating Time into the Analysis Interdependence of Investments Decentralization of Investment Decisions Accounting for Technical Risks and Uncertainties Risk Management Strategy A Socio-Technical Approach to Investments Preparing an Investment Decision (scope of the study, assessment of the initial situation, selection of the baseline scenario, alternative strategies, risks, summary) Case Study

Engineer's Identity

Lecturer

Scientific Management/Business Organization and Performance (GS/OPE) track

Course Director

Organization of Group Activities for the 2nd and 3rd Years All elective activities, which take place during the 2nd year and at the beginning of the 3rd year over approximately six weeks, are designed to prepare students for their 3rd-year elective project. In the second year, the elective offers an introduction to management, based primarily on two activities: a business simulation (3.5 days), providing hands-on experience with the major functions of a business and the process of making strategic decisions, an exercise focusing on the history of management ideas and practices (5 days), which, among other things, allows students to assess the contribution of mathematical tools to understanding and mastering how businesses operate. At the beginning of the third year, during a one-month intensive block, this training is expanded upon through various modules designed to introduce students to the different tools and methods in the field of study and to make them aware of the conditions under which these are applied in organizations. During this time, students interact with practitioners and researchers. These modules focus on the following topics: industrial safety management, human resources management, corporate finance and development, and corporate governance. This program is supplemented by a multi-day industrial field trip focused on a cross-cutting theme (e.g., parent-subsidiary relationships; subcontracting management centered on a major client in a specific employment region; innovation and business networks; offshore policies for IT services; etc.). The Elective Project The elective project, conducted in pairs, takes up the entire time allocated to the elective in the third year, beginning in late October. The topics can be very varied (see examples below) and cover diverse settings (businesses, but also hospitals, museums, local governments, etc.). The question posed always corresponds to a real challenge faced by the managers of the host organization. Students are encouraged to analyze the problem—and even reframe it—as well as to propose solutions and attempt to implement them in practice. Students receive very close supervision from the elective’s instructors, who meet with them for about two hours per week. This approach stems from the observation that theoretical instruction provides only limited insight into the realities of business life, whereas the accounts of the experiences students in the program have had in their field of study offer numerous opportunities for educational enrichment.