Jean Pfiffelmann, associate professor at EM Strasbourg, defended his Habilitation à Diriger des Recherches (HDR) dissertation, at EM Strasbourg, entitled "Quand la persuasion se heurte à la résistance : Une approche par la théorie du signal", on March 16, 2026.
The dissertation committee was composed of the following individuals:
- Sonia Capelli - Université Jean Moulin Lyon 3, Examiner
- Lars Meyer-Waarden - Université Toulouse 1 Capitole, Reporting Examiner
- Jessie Pallud - Université de Strasbourg, President of the Dissertation Committee
- Béatrice Parguel - Université Paris-Dauphine PSL, Reporting Examiner
- Fabien Pecot – Toulouse Business School Education, Reporting Examiner
We acquired a testimonial from Jean:
"I am delighted to have defended my Habilitation to Direct Research dissertation on Monday, March 16, 2026, at EM Strasbourg Business School. The dissertation is entitled "Quand la persuasion se heurte à la résistance : Une approche par la théorie du signal".
In this dissertation, I propose an integrative approach to persuasion, showing how signals sent by organizations can both influence individuals and trigger resistance, depending on the context and the individuals involved. It also draws on innovative methodological approaches, particularly eye-tracking, to better understand the attentional mechanisms underlying the effectiveness of persuasive messages. Finally, it highlights the growing privacy concerns associated with social media, showing how individuals’ concerns can moderate—or even hinder—the effectiveness of persuasion strategies.
I would like to sincerely thank the committee members—Sonia Capelli, Lars Meyer-Waarden, Béatrice Parguel, and Fabien Pecot—for evaluating my dissertation and for their thought-provoking questions. It was a great honor to bring together such a highly qualified committee and to be challenged by colleagues with complementary areas of expertise.
I would also like to thank Jessie Pallud for supervising my work as my HDR advisor, for her valuable guidance, and for serving as committee chair during the defense.
This HDR represents an important milestone in my career and professional journey, and now enables me to supervise doctoral students as a PhD advisor. I am truly looking forward to beginning this new chapter.”
We would like to congratulate him warmly on this fine achievement!