About ProCESS

ProCESS is an Erasmus + project that propose an innovative methodology to deal with complex management cases by alternating sequences of mobilization of Sensory, Emotional, and Spiritual (SES) intelligences, in addition to rational capacities .

Processing Complexity with Emotional, Sensorial and Spiritual capacities is an Erasmus+ Knowledge Alliances project that started in January 2021. The project includes 9 partners from 4 European countries. Lyon Catholic University is coordinating this EU project, led by Christophe PONS. Total project budget is 849427 €.

Traditional management research considers organizations as machine-like mechanisms that can be controlled by orderly, rational decision-taking. However practical this kind of view may be in production-oriented organizational settings, it seems to be ill suited in many knowledge-intensive business contexts. ProCESS project aims at developing a methodology that helps companies move away from traditional, rational decision-taking efficiencies towards learning organizations that solve problems through interconnected, self-organizing processes utilizing sensory, emotional, and spiritual skills of its actors alongside rational analysis.

The main objectives of the project are:

Develop an original and innovative methodology [ProCESS methodology] to deal with complex management cases through alternating sequences of mobilization of Sensory, Emotional, and Spiritual (SES) intelligences, in addition to rational capacities.
Test the proposed methodology on real business cases in collaboration with partner companies, with students under the supervision of both academics and practicing managers.
Train new types of trainers [SESS trainers] in SES Skills and develop a new niche of activity for them.
Transpose the developed methodology into existing bachelor and master’s degree programs as well as lifelong/vocational training programs.

The ultimate purpose of the project is to develop future businesspeople or managers who, by mobilizing their SES skills with the help of art, for instance, will be able to create value for their companies that is more than, and qualitatively different from, the sum of individual actions.
This helps the companies adapt to constantly changing business environment.

The proposed ProCESS Methodology is tested by implementing 12 complex management cases in collaboration with the partner companies: Sanofi, De KLAUSEN, Keskisuomalainen and Latvijas Pasts. The management cases are solved by groups of international students from the four participating Higher Education Institutions. All participating students get in touch with the ProCESS Methodology in dedicated workshops (2 sensorial, 2 emotional, and 2spiritual) that are conducted by SESS trainers. After each workshop, students advance their work on the case analysis. The students write a final report (action plan) which they present at the winter school.

As part of ProCESS implementation, four ProCESS training modules and their testing sessions and a curriculum to train SESS trainers are developed. The ProCESS training modules are built by academic coaches of the four HEIs (UCLy, JAMK, RISEBA and TUCN). The ProCESS training modules and SESS trainers network aim at exploiting and disseminating the results of the project.