Economic, Social and Management Sciences

Economics, Social Sciences and Management Department

Head of Department :
Sophie THOYER





Communication contact and secretary : Isabelle LLORCA

Research and training focus

Three research units are linked to the department :

• UMR Markets, organisations, institutions and protagonists’ strategies (MOISA)
• UMR Montpellier laboratory of applied theoretical economics (LAMETA)
• UMR Innovation (innovative and development processes in the agro-food sectors)

Researchers from these three units are involved in the PhD course ‘economics of agricultural, agro-food and rural development’ in the economy and management doctoral school of University of Montpellier 1. Some of them also contribute to a few specialised modules in the undergraduate agronomy engineering programme.

The department’s research activities in the field of economic, social and management sciences depend on specific competences in the analysis of relationships between strategic behaviours of protagonists and institutional managers (MOISA, Innovation) and in theoretical and applied modelling (LAMETA).

MOISA bases its research programme on theoretical trends of institutional economics, management science (marketing and strategic analysis), and some elements of socio-anthropology. These mutually complementary instruments are applied to complex research subject matter: agriculture, food, and rural areas. The programme is focussed on the analysis of situations and tools for decision making for the economic protagonists (private or public sector). The research unit is a place where complementary theories and tools are considered as complementary. The research is defined broadly under the heading of: ‘co-ordination approaches and protagonists’ strategies in agricultural, agro-food and rural systems’ and four operations :

• Indication of quality and consumer behaviour: between commercial labels and collective norms
• New frontiers for businesses and agro-food markets
• Renewing public policy and institutional pluralism
• Private collective approaches in the co-ordination of protagonists

These research operations are about different socio-economic and geographical contexts, agricultural, agro-food, and rural systems, in France, in the European Mediterranean region, in OPEC, and in developing countries. They are closely linked in to three out of four of the strands of doctoral research seminars: agricultural policy, analysis of development and agro-food systems.

The LAMETA research unit is a group of about 40 scientists who have some methodologies in common such as theoretical and applied modelling, with a clear aim to develop theoretical work, quantitative studies and field studies hand in hand.

The ‘Natural resources and environment ‘programme has a double purpose :

• To take part in theoretical debates raised by economic analysis in the area of environment and the management of natural resources and their relationship with agriculture.
• To develop tools for interpretation, evaluation and simulation of public policy, how it is negotiated and co-ordinated (de-centralised procedures by public choice at different geographical levels, international negotiation).

There is particular emphasis on choice of methods (mathematical programming, game theory, agency models, multi-agent systems).

This programme is organised around four operations :

• Agriculture, environment and public policy
• Public policy and dynamics of landscapes and biodiversity
• Decentralised economics and management of water
• Analysis of international environmental agreements: climate and bio-diversity

The scientific activity of the department is characterised currently by a greater interest in management science, by the affirmation of specific competences in institutional economy and development economy, and by the reinforcement of themes of food consumption, the environment and natural resources, which have all been emerging for the last few years in research programmes.

Linked research units