Dr. Meriem Elbouhali | Blockchain | Best Researcher Award

ESLSCA Paris Business School, CERFIM | France

Author Profile

Scopus

Early Academic Pursuits

Dr. Meriem El Bouhali is a distinguished scholar in the field of digital marketing and business-to-business (B2B) research. Her academic journey reflects a consistent trajectory of excellence and depth in management sciences. She holds a Ph.D. in Management Sciences (Digital Marketing) from Université Paris 2 Panthéon-Assas, earned in December 2020. Her doctoral thesis, titled “Convertir les visiteurs du site web en clients : comment la qualité du site web de fournisseur influence la confiance et l’intention de sélection dans un contexte de sourcing ?”, was awarded with “Mention très honorable avec les félicitations à l’unanimité”, a prestigious distinction reflecting both the academic quality and practical relevance of her research. Her thesis received the University Thesis Prize of Paris 2, emphasizing its contribution to the field.

Her academic foundations are equally solid. Dr. El Bouhali completed a Master 2 in Management Sciences (Organizational Management) at Université Paris 2 Panthéon-Assas in 2013 and a Master 1 in Economics and Management at Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne in 2012. She also completed the EDEN Doctoral Seminar on Advances in B2B Marketing at the Turku School of Economics in Finland in 2019, further reinforcing her international research exposure.

Professional Endeavors

Dr. El Bouhali currently serves as an Associate Professor and Program Director at ESLSCA Business School Paris, where she leads the MBA in Digital Marketing and Innovation. Her responsibilities span from academic course design and delivery to program coordination and student mentorship. She is involved in the strategic development of curricula, pedagogical innovation, partnership building, and international academic initiatives.

Her professional academic experience includes roles as an adjunct faculty member at the Faculté Libre de Droit, d’Économie et de Gestion (2016–2021), a contractual professor at Université de Picardie Jules Verne (2018–2019), and an ATER (Attachée Temporaire d’Enseignement et de Recherche) at Université Paris 2 Panthéon-Assas (2014–2016). Across these positions, she has taught a wide range of subjects, including digital marketing, B2B marketing, service marketing, international negotiation, customer loyalty, and research methodology.

Contributions and Research Focus

Dr. El Bouhali’s research is rooted in the digital transformation of B2B marketing, with a specific interest in how website quality, digital trust, and online partner selection influence business relationships. Her published work includes studies on blockchain adoption in auditing, internal branding and social media performance, and sustainable business models in the financial services sector.

Her doctoral and postdoctoral work investigates the intersection between digital interface quality and supplier selection, using both qualitative and quantitative methods. Her approach blends theory with practical application, providing insight into how organizations can improve digital presence to build trust and enhance buyer engagement.

Impact and Influence

Through her research and teaching, Dr. El Bouhali has made significant contributions to both academia and industry. Her work on digital trust in sourcing contexts and social media capabilities has been cited and discussed in academic conferences and peer-reviewed journals. She has participated in high-level conferences such as the EMAC Annual Conference, the Association Française du Marketing, and the International Marketing Trends Conference. Her research is shaping modern marketing discourse, particularly in the context of sustainability, customer relationship management, and technological innovation.

Academic Citations and Publications

Dr. El Bouhali’s peer-reviewed articles and academic collaborations reflect her influence in the field. Key publications include:

• “Blockchain Technology Adoption Intention among the Big Four Audit Firms” (The British Accounting Review, 2025)

• “Les capacités dans le domaine des médias sociaux, déterminants de la performance salariée” (Gestion2000, 2024)

• “Vers un business model durable: une étude de cas d’un groupe de services financiers” (Droit et Patrimoine, 2023)

• “Choix du fournisseur à l’ère du digital” (Cahiers de recherche FACO, 2019)

She also has multiple articles under review or submitted to reputable journals, including Technovation, Studies in Higher Education, and Research in International Business and Finance.

Technical Skills

Dr. El Bouhali is proficient in both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies, using tools such as SPSS, SMART PLS, and QDA Miner. She is also adept with the Microsoft Office 365 Suite and delivers distance education via platforms like Zoom, Teams, and Discord. Her teaching approach incorporates active learning, including flipped classrooms and problem-based learning strategies.

Teaching Experience

Her teaching expertise covers both undergraduate and graduate levels, including Bachelor’s, MBA, and Master’s programs. She has taught a broad spectrum of courses in marketing, including digital marketing, customer loyalty, strategic marketing, and CSR. Her teaching style emphasizes critical thinking, real-world application, and interactive methodologies.

She has also played an active role in supervising master’s theses, coordinating program accreditations (RNCP), and organizing student workshops, conferences, and international study tours. She is involved in faculty development and supports student engagement initiatives.

Legacy and Future Contributions

Dr. El Bouhali’s academic legacy is defined by her commitment to bridging the gap between theory and practice, especially in the fast-evolving domains of digital marketing and sustainable innovation. Looking ahead, she plans to continue researching how digital transformation impacts buyer–supplier dynamics, with a focus on AI integration, B2B trust models, and sustainable customer engagement.

Her role in shaping future marketing professionals is not limited to teaching—she actively designs programs that are industry-relevant, research-driven, and pedagogically progressive. As a member of the CERFIM and LARGEPA research labs, she is well-positioned to influence future debates on responsible marketing and technological change.

Publications

Dr. Najla Bouebdallah | Blockchain | Best Researcher Award

Excelia Business School | France

Author Profile

Scopus

🎓 Early Academic Pursuits

Dr. Najla Bouebdallah’s academic journey is marked by exceptional excellence and dedication to the field of management sciences and accounting. Born and educated in Tunisia, she began her scholarly path with a Baccalauréat in Mathematics (2007), graduating with Mention Très Bien. She pursued a Bachelor’s in Management Sciences with a specialization in Accounting at ISG Tunisia, where she again ranked at the top of her class in 2010. Her passion for academia led her to complete a Master’s in Accounting and Financial Methods in 2013 at FSEG Tunisia, where she graduated with the highest distinction and was recognized as the major of her promotion.

Driven by a growing interest in understanding the strategic value of knowledge within organizations, Dr. Bouebdallah earned her Ph.D. in Management Sciences in 2019 from the GRANEM research laboratory (IAE Angers) and IHEC Carthage. Her doctoral thesis, “The Impact of Intellectual Capital on Business Performance: Case of the BRICS Countries,” was supervised by prominent scholars including Prof. Lionel Escaffre and Prof. Salma Damak Ayedi, reflecting her early focus on intangible assets and performance analytics in emerging economies.

💼 Professional Endeavors

Dr. Bouebdallah’s professional career spans across academia, research, and international collaboration. She is currently a Research Engineer at Excelia Business School Paris and a Lecturer at EM Normandie, where she brings a blend of academic theory and applied finance into the classroom. Her earlier teaching roles include appointments at Université Paris 10 Nanterre, IAE Gustave Eiffel Créteil, Université Lille 1, and several prestigious business schools such as ESLSCA, ISG, and EDC Paris.

Over the years, she has developed and taught a broad portfolio of courses ranging from financial accounting, IFRS, audit, and consolidation, to management control, taxation, and research methodology at both undergraduate and graduate levels, including MBA programs. Her pedagogy is complemented by a strong commitment to mentorship and research supervision, supporting students in thesis writing, applied research, and professional project development.

🔬 Contributions and Research Focus

Dr. Bouebdallah’s research is at the intersection of accounting, sustainability, and digital transformation. She has authored and co-authored numerous papers on topics such as intellectual capital, ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) adoption, blockchain technology in auditing, and generative AI in finance and education.

Her upcoming publication in the Asian Review of Accounting (2025) titled “Factors Determining Big Four Auditors’ Intentions to Use Blockchain Technology: A Mixed Approach” demonstrates her pioneering work in exploring how emerging technologies reshape the auditing landscape. Additionally, she has contributed to the British Accounting Review, Financial Innovations, and is preparing chapters for an academic book titled “Innovating Finance for a Sustainable Future” (World Scientific).

Current research projects include:

• Adoption of Generative AI in Banking and Education

• Supply Chain Resilience – A Bibliometric Analysis

• AI, Machine Learning, and Big Data in Trading Systems

🏅 Accolades and Recognition

Dr. Bouebdallah’s academic and research excellence has been consistently recognized. She has:

• Graduated as Top of her Class in both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees.

• Served as an Elected Member of the GRANEM Research Council (2016–2019).

• Participated in the Scientific Committee of the 41st AFC (Association Francophone de Comptabilité) Congress in Angers.

• Received multiple international seminar invitations in Brussels, Madrid, Dubai, and online for executive Micro-MBA modules on cost analysis, performance leadership, and financial strategy.

Her role as a peer reviewer for journals such as Journal of Financial Reporting and Accounting, African Development Review, and Journal of Sustainable Finance & Investment further highlights her academic credibility and engagement with global research networks.

🌍 Impact and Influence

Dr. Bouebdallah is widely respected for her interdisciplinary insight, combining accounting fundamentals with emerging technological tools. Her work has influenced both academic communities and professional circles, especially in understanding how technologies like blockchain and AI affect corporate governance, audit practices, and sustainability reporting. She actively contributes to international conferences and collaborative research networks, particularly within the Francophone academic world and the Middle East–North Africa (MENA) region.

Her teachings and research are grounded in real-world relevance, equipping students and professionals to meet the challenges of digital transformation and sustainable finance.

🔮 Legacy and Future Contributions

Looking ahead, Dr. Bouebdallah aims to further explore the interface between ethical governance, digital innovation, and financial accountability. She envisions developing cross-disciplinary curricula, producing high-impact research, and influencing policy and practice in how financial systems adapt to sustainability challenges and technological disruptions. With her ongoing work on AI in education, blockchain-enabled auditing, and ESG data integration, she is poised to shape the next generation of responsible, tech-savvy financial leaders.

Through her dedication to academic rigor, innovative research, and global collaboration, Dr. Najla Bouebdallah continues to build a legacy that bridges tradition with innovation in the fields of accounting, auditing, and responsible finance. 🌟

Publications