Luc Lagrandeur
Associate Professor, School of Business Administration
Contact
About Luc
Luc Lagrandeur is a seasoned academic, administrator, and marketing professional whose career bridges the gap between theoretical business strategy and practical entrepreneurial execution. Originally from French River (Alban), Ontario, Dr. Lagrandeur has spent over two decades shaping the business curriculum at Laurentian University while maintaining a robust profile in international research and community leadership.
I. Academic Leadership and University Governance
Since 2003, Dr. Lagrandeur has been a pillar of the School of Business Administration within the Faculty of Management at Laurentian University. His influence extends from the classroom to the highest levels of university governance:
- Associate Dean – Academic (2023–2024): In this senior leadership role, he provided strategic oversight for academic planning, curriculum development, and resource allocation. He was responsible for faculty appointments, performance reviews, and leading program reviews to maintain rigorous accreditation and quality assurance standards.
- University Senate: He currently serves as a Senator, representing the School of Business Administration.
- Administrative Milestones: His leadership history includes roles as Coordinator of both French (BAA) and English (BBA) business programs, Coordinator of External Student Activities, and Chair of the Ethics Committee for the Marketing and Management Department.
- Academic Integrity: He serves as the Academic Integrity Officer for the Goodman Gold Challenge, a prestigious mining investment competition at the Goodman School of Mines.
II. Pedagogical Expertise and Global Lecturing
Dr. Lagrandeur’s teaching philosophy is rooted in the transition from marketing fundamentals to the actualization of new ventures. While his early teaching covered a vast array of topics—including Consumer Behaviour, Marketing Research, B2B Marketing, and Retail Management—his recent focus has shifted toward:
- Social Entrepreneurship
- Venture Creation and Venture Launch
- Business Consulting
His reputation as an expert in these fields has led to invitations to lecture at prominent international institutions, including:
- Canada: McGill University and Bishop’s University.
- Europe: University of Lille (France), Università dell’Insubria (Italy), and Spiru Haret University (Romania).
- Latin America: Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León (Mexico).
III. Academic Background and Research Contributions
Dr. Lagrandeur possesses a multidisciplinary educational background that informs his research on the digital economy:
- PhD: University of Lille (2021).
- Executive DBA (e-business): Sherbrooke University (2013).
- MSc (Management Information Systems): Sherbrooke University (1991).
- HBCom: Laurentian University (1989).
Research Focus:
His research explores the intersection of technology and governance; specifically, how local governments implement e-services through virtual organization models. He has investigated the "technological divide" between Francophone and Anglophone municipalities in Ontario and continues to study the impact of online services on organizational efficiency and citizen interaction. His work has been published in journals such as The International Journal of Technology, Knowledge and Society and presented at global conferences from Portugal to Honduras.
IV. Student Mentorship and Economic Impact
As the Faculty Advisor for Enactus Laurentian and a recipient of the 2019 John Dobson Enactus Fellow of the Year award, Dr. Lagrandeur is a dedicated mentor. He oversees the "Business Launch" courses where students move beyond theory to actually start businesses.
Under his supervision, students have provided high-level consulting for over 100 organizations, delivering market studies, financial feasibility plans, and international expansion strategies. Notable beneficiaries include:
- Public and Institutional: City of Greater Sudbury, Northern Ontario School of Medicine, and the University of Sudbury.
- Corporate and Industrial: Alibaba.com, Snap-On, Muskoka Brewery, and Mining Technologies International.
- Non-Profit and Culture: The John Howard Society, La Nuit sur l’Étang, and the Learning Disabilities Association of Sudbury.
V. Professional Industry Experience
Before his tenure in academia, Dr. Lagrandeur spent a decade (1992–2002) in the corporate trenches of Montreal’s IT sector. Working for Canada’s second-largest IT outsourcing firm, he served as a Strategic Account Manager and Marketing Manager. His consulting portfolio from this era includes global icons and major Canadian entities such as:
- Cirque du Soleil
- General Motors of Canada
- Estée Lauder
- Agropur
- Société des alcools du Québec (SAQ)
- Guillevin International
VI. Community Engagement
Dr. Lagrandeur remains deeply committed to regional development and social equity. Currently, he serves as the Chair of the Board of Directors for Closet Share, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing clothing to those in need, embodying the principles of social entrepreneurship he teaches in the classroom.
Education
Dr. Lagrandeur possesses a multidisciplinary educational background that informs his research on the digital economy:
- PhD: University of Lille (2021).
- Executive DBA (e-business): Sherbrooke University (2013).
- MSc (Management Information Systems): Sherbrooke University (1991).
- HBCom: Laurentian University (1989).
Academic Appointments
2003 - Assistant Professor
2023 - Associate Professor
Research
His research explores the intersection of technology and governance; specifically, how local governments implement e-services through virtual organization models. He has investigated the "technological divide" between Francophone and Anglophone municipalities in Ontario and continues to study the impact of online services on organizational efficiency and citizen interaction. His work has been published in journals such as The International Journal of Technology, Knowledge and Society and presented at global conferences from Portugal to Honduras.
Awards
- 2019: John Dobson Enactus Fellowship
- 2018: John Dobson Enactus Fellowship
- 2017: John Dobson Enactus Fellowship
- 2016: John Dobson Enactus Advisor of the Year Award
- 2015: John Dobson Enactus Fellowship
- 2014: John Dobson Enactus Fellowship
- 2013: John Dobson Enactus Fellowship
- 2006: Institutional bursary from Université de Sherbrooke for doctoral studies
Publications
BOOKS AUTHORED
- Cachon, Jean-Charles and Luc Lagrandeur. 2016. West Nipissing Leakage and Feasibility Analysis. Sturgeon Falls, Ontario : West Nipissing Chamber of Commerce. 178 p. https://westnipissingchamber.ca/study
- Cachon, Jean-Charles et Luc Lagrandeur. 2016. Analyse de fuite économique et étude de faisabilité sur le marché de Nipissing Ouest. Sturgeon Falls, Ontario : Chambre de Commerce de Nipissing Ouest. 185 p. https://westnipissingchamber.ca/study
ARTICLES IN REFEREED JOURNALS
- Lagrandeur, Luc. (2024). The Degree of Virtuality of Local Governments Through the Lens of the Virtual Organization Model, The International Journal of Technology, Knowledge, and Society, 21(1), 1-27. doi:10.18848/1832-3669/CGP/v21i01/1-27.
- Lagrandeur, L., and Fortier, D. (2016). Providing Government e-Services: An Extension of Applicability Check for Practitioners, Review of Contemporary Business Research, 5(1), 16-24.
- Sévigny, B., Ingham, J., Lagacé, M., Lagrandeur, L., De Serres, S., Murray, M., and Bourgeois, D. (2009). Le Web municipal francophone au Canada : un développement axé sur le citoyen/client ou la collectivité? Organisations et territoires, 18(3), 5-14.
- Helme-Guizon, A., Mulholland, R., Lagrandeur, L. (2004). Web et stations de ski, Organisations & territoires, 13(3), 51-56.
BOOK, JOURNAL REVIEWS
- Clow, K., Baack, D. and Peloza, J. (2013). Integrated Advertising, Promotion, and Marketing Communications - First Canadian Edition. Canada: Pearson Education.
PUBLISHED CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS, REFEREED
- Lagrandeur, L. (2024, July 3-5). “The Degree of Virtuality of Local Governments Through the Lens of the Virtual Organization Model”, [Paper presentation]. Twenty-fourth International Conference on Knowledge, Culture, and Change in Organizations, Lisbon, Portugal.
- Lagrandeur, L. (2023, July 3-4). « The Virtual Organization Model as an Assessment Tool for Local Governments Offering E-Services: An Analysis by Region » [Paper presentation]. 4th International Conference on Digital, Innovation, Financing & Entrepreneurship, Montreal, Canada.
- Lagrandeur, L. and M. D. Moreau (2014). « Factors Favouring Adoption of e-Services by Municipal Governments: A Framework » In Proceedings of the 14th European Conference on e-Government, pp. 154-162, Brasov, Romania.
- Lagrandeur, L. and D. Fortier (2013). « Providing Government e-Services: An Extension of Applicability Check for Practitioners » In Proceedings of the 13th European Conference on e-Government, Volume 1, pp. 283-291, Como, Italy.
- Legendre, S., Lagrandeur, L. and J. Jean-Jules (2006). « Stratégies de changement organisationnel : Le cas Desjardins » In Actes du Xe Séminaire annuel du Réseau des universités des Amériques en études sur les coopératives et associations, Copán, Honduras.
ACTIVITIES AT CONFERENCES AND MEETINGS OF PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES
DATE
Meeting/Conference
Contribution, Title
July 8-10, 2025
Thirty-second International Conference on Learning: Human Learning and Machine Learning, Challenges and Opportunities for Artificial Intelligence in Education, July 8-10, 2025, University of Granada, Granada, Spain.
* Attended as a participant
July 3-5, 2024
Twenty-fourth International Conference on Knowledge, Culture, and Change in Organizations, Lisbon, Portugal.
The Degree of Virtuality of Local Governments Through the Lens of the Virtual Organization Model
July 3-4, 2023
4th International Conference on Digital, Innovation, Financing & Entrepreneurship, Montreal, Canada.
The Virtual Organization Model as an Assessment Tool for Local Governments Offering E-Services: An Analysis by Region
October 12, 2022
Invited guest speaker at Bishop’s University, Lennoxville, Quebec
Becoming a Student-Consultant
October 5, 2020
Invited guest speaker at the « Future of Education Conference »
www.futureofeducationconference.com
Providing hands-on experiential learning experiences to post-secondary business students.
October 15, 2019
Invited guest speaker at Bishop’s University, Lennoxville, Québec
The Student-Consultant: Building the Client-Consultant Relationship
September 28, 2019
Experience Your Life Expo 2019, Mississauga, Ontario
Inspirational leader at one of the 10 round tables; sharing and discussing the career path of a University Professor
October 11, 2018
Invited guest speaker at Bishop’s University, Lennoxville, Québec
The Student-Consultant: Building the Client-Consultant Relationship
September 28, 2018
Experience Your Life Expo 2018, Mississauga, Ontario
Inspirational leader at one of the 10 round tables; sharing and discussing the career path of a University Professor
October 13, 2017
Invited guest speaker at Bishop’s University, Lennoxville, Quebec
The Role of the Student-Consultant in the business consulting industry
April 27, 2016
Research day of the Faculty of Management
Laurentian University, Sudbury, Ontario
Providing Government e-Services: An Extension of the Applicability Check for Practitioners.
June 12-14, 2014
14th European Conference on e-Government – ECEG 2014, Brasov, Romania
Factors Favouring Adoption of e-Services by Municipal Governments: A Framework.
February 26, 2014
Bishop’s University, Lennoxville, Quebec.
The Role of Information Technology in Organizations
December 9, 2013
Essay defense for the executive DBA (D3C), Université de Sherbrooke, Quebec
Motivations and Factors Favouring Adoption of e-Services by Municipal Governments: A Multiple Cases Study of Successful Municipalities.
October 21, 2013
Bishop’s University, Lennoxville, Quebec
The Role of Information Technology in Organizations
June 13-14, 2013
13th European Conference on e-Government – ECEG 2013, Como, Italy
Providing Government e-Services: An Extension of the Applicability Check for Practitioners.
February 28, 2013
Le regroupement des gens d’affaires francophones et le Centre régional des affaires, Sudbury, Ontario
Le marketing social: une approche stratégique.
February 18, 2013
Bishop’s University, Lennoxville, Quebec
The Role of Information Technology in Organizations
October 22, 2012
Bishop’s University, Lennoxville, Quebec
The Role of Information Technology in Organizations
February 20, 2012
Bishop’s University, Lennoxville, Quebec
The Role of Information Technology in Organizations
October 24, 2011
Bishop’s University, Lennoxville, Quebec
The Role of Information Technology in Organizations
February 21, 2011
Bishop’s University, Lennoxville, Quebec
The Role of Information Technology in Organizations
October 21, 2010
Bishop’s University, Lennoxville, Quebec
The Role of Information Technology in Organizations
March 10, 2010
Bishop’s University, Lennoxville, Quebec
The Role of Information Technology in Organizations
May 12, 2009
77e congrès de l’ACFAS, Université d’Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario
Le Web municipal et l’Association française des muncipalités de l’Ontario.
March 7, 2008
Carrefour virtuel des municipalités francophones du Canada, Brandon, Manitoba
Portrait du Web municpal en Ontario: Résultats préliminaires
May 17, 2006
74e congrès de l’ACFAS, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec
Stratégies de changement et de transformation organisationnelle : le cas Desjardins
June 30, 2005
2005 Summer Academic Program – Mexico
Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey, Mexico
Exploring Cross Cultural Differences in Consumers: A Comparison of NAFTA-based Cultures
RESEARCH CONTRACTS
Year(s)
Title of Report / Project
Funding Agency
Amount of Contract
2020 to 2023
An Implementation Strategy for Local Government Offering eServices: The Virtual Organization
Laurentian University Research Fund (LURF)
$4,250
2014 to 2015
West Nipissing Chamber of Commerce (2015).
Report 1 - Business Procurement and Consumer Leakage Analysis.
Report 2 – Market Feasibility Study.
West Nipissing Chamber of Commerce
$10,000
2013 to 2014
Case Studies of Effective Organizational Structures Favouring Adoption of e-Services by Municipal Governments
Faculty of Management Research Fund
$4,000
2008
3 research reports and 1 integrated report for the Carrefour virtuel des municipalités francophones du Canada.
Lagrandeur, L. (2008). Le Web municipal et l’Association française des municipalités de l’Ontario. Rapport de recherche, Carrefour virtuel des municipalités francophones du Canada, Université Laurentienne.
Lagrandeur, L. (2008). Portrait de l’accès aux infrastructures des municipalités en Ontario. (Rapport du 1er volet). Sherbrooke, QC : Université de Sherbrooke, Carrefour virtuel des municipalités francophones du Canada, 23 janvier 2008.
Lagrandeur, L. (2008). État des lieux du Web municipal en Ontario. (Rapport du 2e volet). Sherbrooke, QC : Université de Sherbrooke, Carrefour virtuel des municipalités francophones du Canada, 19 février 2008.
Lagrandeur, L. (2008). Facteurs d’adoption dans les municipalités ontariennes. (Rapport du 3e volet). Sherbrooke, QC : Université de Sherbrooke, Carrefour virtuel des municipalités francophones du Canada, 16 avril 2008.
Industry Canada, Carrefour virtuel des municipalités francophones du Canada
$22,200
2004 to 2007
Exploring Cross-Cultural Differences in Consumers: A Comparison of NAFTA-Based Cultures
Faculty of Management Research Fund
$6,305
COMMUNITY / PROFESSIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS
DATE
Organization
Nature of Contribution
April 2007
Chamber of Commerce of West Nipissing,
Sturgeon Falls, Ontario
Designed and presented a workshop-conference titled « Marketing Tips 101: Back to Basics » for business people of the community.
July 2004
Les Entreprises « Boréal » of Collège Boréal, Sudbury, Ontario
Designed and presented a workshop titled « Technique de la vente douce* » for the Training Consultants.
* Soft Sale Approach
OTHER SCHOLARLY ACTIVITIES
- Lagrandeur, L. (2021). “Measuring the degree of virtuality of local governments offering e-services: A tool for practitioners”, Thesis for the doctorate in Sciences of Management (PhD), Université de Lille, Lille, France.
- Lagrandeur, L. (2013). “Motivations and Factors Favouring Adoption of e-Services by Municipal Governments: A Multiple Cases Study of Successful Municipalities”, Essay for the executive DBA (diplôme de 3e cycle – D3C), Université de Sherbrooke, Québec.