EM Normandie takes part in an international research project about the political influence on business

EM Normandie is taking part in an international research programme about the increasing politicisation on business. Funded by the John Templeton Foundation for a total of 4 million dollars, the project is being conducted in partnership with Georgetown University and Florida Atlantic University.

A major issue: when politics takes a central role in companies

At a time when companies are under increasing pressure to take a stance on geopolitical issues such as international conflicts, societal issues with pressure from stakeholders and societal expectations in terms of political commitment, or environmental issues such as climate change, this research programme, ‘Assessing and Addressing the Politicization of Business’, will take an in-depth look at :

• The factors behind the politicisation of the business world ;
• Its economic, social and organisational costs and benefits;
• Public expectations and associated moral judgements;
• The ethical risks and potential abuses for companies and democracies

The project began in July 2025 and will last 3 years.

A groundbreaking scientific project to understand and manage the politicisation of companies

Beyond the production of reliable scientific knowledge on a phenomenon that has as yet been little studied, the researchers will also develop practical tools to help managers and public decision-makers provide a better framework for the political commitment of organisations.

Alongside Georgetown University and Florida Atlantic University, EM Normandie will play a key role in the production and distribution of results: including a research assistant and a post-doctoral student, the EM Normandie team is committed to publishing academic articles in leading international journals, organising international conferences - in particular the Philosophy of Management conference , from 26 to 29 June 2026 on the Paris-Clichy campus, hosting world-renowned researchers such as Edward R. Freeman and Chandran Kukathas - and running seminars for students, alumni and senior executives.

The project is led by Marian Eabrasu, Professor of Business Ethics and Geopolitics and Head of the HR and Organisational Studies Department at EM Normandie. She is the editor-in-chief of the journal Philosophy of Management and a renowned figure in the fields of management, political philosophy and economics.

With this initiative, EM Normandie confirms its academic leadership on contemporary geopolitical issues and its commitment to preparing managers for the challenges of an increasingly politicised international environment.

The politicisation of the business world is no longer a marginal trend: it is a structuring reality that is fundamentally transforming the role of companies in our societies. With this project, we want to provide managers, public decision-makers and the general public with rigorous tools for understanding these dynamics, measuring the risks and taking informed action. EM Normandie is fully committed to this international reflection in order to prepare tomorrow's managers to evolve in a complex, unstable and highly politicised geopolitical environment.

Explains Marian Eabrasu, professor of business ethics and geopolitics at EM Normandie.

Marian Eabrasu is ready to discuss concrete cases of companies which, long relegated to the role of economic players, are now directly involved in controversies relating to public freedoms, information sovereignty, democratic regulation, geopolitics or the “culture wars”. This shift is no longer confined to CSR communications: it is becoming visible in strategic decisions, legal arguments, market withdrawals and public arbitration between competing values.

*In France, this politicisation can already be seen in major legal and reputational cases (e.g. with Syria), in controversies linked to sensitive contracts abroad or in negotiations to maintain/return to markets under sanctions (e.g. with Russia).