Francis Desjardins was hired in July as an assistant professor at the Telfer School of Management. He completed his PhD in management, strategy and entrepreneurship from HEC Montréal. We interviewed him to learn more about his research interests in tough managerial decision making and emerging technologies.
Why did you choose to study management? Any personal motivation behind your research interests in this area?
Before returning to academia, I worked in asset management. While I valued much of my work, I grew increasingly concerned with the darker sides of management practices. I saw colleagues struggle under systems that
overlooked human dignity. That turning point led me to commit myself to fostering critical, responsible managers who keep people in mind as they navigate complex decisions.
How did your PhD training inform your current research program?
During my PhD, I became fascinated by the most difficult decisions faced by people in positions of power. This interest shaped the guiding question of my research program: what decisions keep you awake at night? I found that moral considerations are often at the centre of such dilemmas. What I especially valued was that my research was not only easy to explain but also deeply relatable, both for practitioners in the field and for my 94-year-old grandfather, a former executive.
Do you have any new research highlights to share or new projects you’re excited about?
One of the most interesting insights from my research is that managers often face dilemmas involving a trade-off between efficiency and values such as benevolence, loyalty or passion. While they were comfortable with efficiency and data, what truly kept them awake at night were these other dimensions. This tension continues to inspire my work. Currently, I am engaged in projects on lifestyle entrepreneurship in the craft beer industry, professional identity shifts among police officers moving into management and moral narratives in urban change.
How can your research influence business communities in Canada?
My work supports Canadian business communities by encouraging managers and entrepreneurs to approach decisions with responsibility and reflexivity. I emphasize the real dilemmas leaders face, where efficiency comes into tension with values such as loyalty or benevolence, and I help practitioners recognize the human side of management. Through my teaching at Telfer, I also train future professionals to engage with these challenges critically and constructively. The goal is to foster leaders who build organizations that are competitive, respectful, resilient and socially responsible.
