Faculty in the Spotlight with Frieder LEMPP, professor of international negotiations and conflict management
05/04/2023
With more than 700 professors, including 186 permanent professor-researchers, IÉSEG offers to its students a high-quality learning experience, based on 4 key elements: an active, interdisciplinary learning process, focused on the acquisition of competencies, offered through customized curricula.
Each month, “Faculty in the spotlight” invites you to meet one of the School’s professors who presents their vision of teaching, their methods for transmitting their expertise and passion to students and shares their best memories and stories at IÉSEG.
This month, let’s meet Frieder LEMPP, professor of International Negotiation and Conflict Management at IÉSEG.
Frieder – what is your background?
I am originally from Germany where I did a Master’s degree in Logic, Mathematics and Psychology at the University of Leipzig. During this Master’s, I went on an exchange with Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand. I really loved that country, which I found beautiful. I decided to go further into my studies by completing a PhD of Logic, which I did in the same university because there was a very important research center there. After my PhD, I did a training in conflict management and mediation, which led me to become a workplace mediator. I then obtained my first academic position at Massey University, as a lecturer in conflict management, mediation and negotiation. I was mainly teaching in the Executive Programs – for lawyers and managers. Finally, I wanted to come back to Europe, so I came to France and got a job at IÉSEG, where I teach the same topics but to a younger audience, for people who haven’t entered the job market yet.
Could you sum up your area of expertise in a few words?
I basically have two main areas of expertise and research – conflict management and negotiation. In conflict management courses, I prepare students to deal with conflict in a constructive way in their future professional lives. Conflict is unavoidable, so it is important to know how to manage this type of situation when you are a manager. We talk about conflict in the workplace with your colleagues or your boss, but also conflict between companies that have signed a contract together and are in disagreement. The courses on negotiation are intended to help students prepare for negotiating contracts with future suppliers or clients.
For all of my courses in conflict management and negotiation, I provide theoretical knowledge, but I also use a lot of role play exercises to train students to know how to act in certain situations.
Would you say your areas of expertise have evolved over time?
Yes, it has evolved. In my opinion, the main trend is that today companies prefer to resolve conflict on their own rather than going to court. They want to use their own processes of mediation or arbitration because court processes are very expensive and take a long time to resolve issues. This is applicable to anglophone countries like the USA, Australia and New-Zealand, but it also starts being true in Europe, including France.
Another trend that I have identified is the use of computer programs by companies to help them in their negotiations. It requires a lot of resources for companies to send people on the field to negotiate all the contracts, so they start exploring ways to automate these negotiation processes. In the e-commerce industry, I can give the example of Amazon, which is quite good in this area because they have set up an online platform allowing customers to address their dispute directly without having to go to court.
Is conflict management the same in New Zealand as is it in France?
There are definitely different ways of approaching conflicts, but the key principles of conflict resolution are the same. My teaching is not fundamentally different in France than in New Zealand.
What do you like about being a professor at IÉSEG?
What I enjoy the most is probably the international dimension with professors from all over the world. For example, in the People, Organization and Negotiation Department only, we have about 20 different nationalities. On the other hand, the School is also deeply rooted into the French education system and has strong connections with important French companies. I also perceive it as a very collegial organization with nice people with whom it’s easy to connect. As professors, we receive solid support for our research. Indeed, it is easy to get fundings to go to a conference and collect data. The process to request funding is also very quick and convenient.
According to your students, what are your strengths as a teacher and what are your areas of improvement?
My students often say that I am approachable and that it is easy to talk to me. They also mention that my courses are very clear and that I manage to explain things in a way that everyone can understand. In terms of things to improve – they say that I sometimes should be stricter.
What pedagogical methods do you rely on mostly?
I give a lot of opportunities to students to speak and debate together during classes. We also do business cases and online simulations through platforms where students can do negotiation or mediation training. Of course, I also use “traditional” teaching methods where I speak in class to teach the theory, which is important too. I always want to make sure that students understand why they learn what they learn. I like to use students’ personal knowledge and previous experience. For example, an exercise that I like to I ask them to identify a situation where they had to negotiate, describe the situation, reflect upon it and compare with what they have learned in my class. Through this exercise they might realize that they could have done things differently, in a better way, or that they did well.
What motivates you to teach conflict management to your students?
I do believe it’s important to deal with conflict situations in a constructive way. This topic is close to my heart. I don’t think that conflict in itself is good or bad, what makes a difference is how you manage the conflict and what you do with it. Indeed, if you don’t handle well a conflict situation, it may escalate and have negative consequences on people. People generally feel stressed and unhappy in these situations. Whereas if you manage the situation in a good way, it can even become something positive leading to creative solutions and bringing people closer together.
