- Date
- Thursday 22 Jun 2023, 09:00 - Friday 23 Jun 2023, 17:00
- Type
- Conference
- Spoken Language
- English
The Rotterdam School of Management is hosting the 2023 edition of the Business &Society Research Seminar for PhD students and emerging scholars
Are you a PhD candidate or an emerging scholar conducting research in the field of Business and Society, Sustainable Business, Corporate Social Responsibility, Sustainable Development Goals, Social Innovation & Entrepreneurship, Social Inclusion and Social Justice, or a related topic?
Do you want to discuss one of your research papers or your PhD project with leading scholars in the field to enhance your ability to write and review scholarly publications?
Are you looking for some mentoring from leading experts or do you want to develop your academic network?
Then we encourage you to submit your contribution!
GENERAL THEME OF THE 2023 EDITION
How to make the world a more inclusive place?
At the beginning of a winter during which, even in rich countries, many families will have to choose whether to heat or to eat, we need more attention to inclusive prosperity. Under the umbrella term inclusive prosperity, we aim to enable as many people as possible to benefit from increasing prosperity, whilst addressing the negative consequences for the planet. Considering the undeniable tensions between some of the Sustainable Development Goals we are facing with our mission, there are no easy solutions to the increasingly complex puzzle humanity is facing.
For this year’s seminar we call to examine inclusive prosperity in all its forms and aspects such as…
Organizations can be a source of inequalities or be part of the solution to increasing inequalities. How can organizations be the latter rather than the former? How do organizations support employees, regardless of their background or circumstance, to thrive at work? What are the practices needed to break down barriers to inclusion?
Ecological trade-offs can have significant effects on inclusion (or exclusion) through activities that, at least at first glance, quite clearly lead to more prosperity. Industrial agriculture, fisheries and forestry, mineral mining and the petrochemical industry are commonly viewed as contributing to economic prosperity and are therefore protected by strong legal frameworks, despite degrading the environment at the local and global level. Obvious gains from industrial activities and global supply chains, however, are accompanied by substantial and sometimes dramatic losses for widespread communities, erecting barriers to inclusive prosperity. What is needed to create outcomes that are socially fairer and ecologically more sustainable? How can global supply chains be transformed so that the benefits are equitably shared, and the environment is respected? How can consumers and citizens help the transition toward sustainable inclusive prosperity?
In our complex society an operational and sophisticated financial system is indispensable. Much of our innovation and development would be impossible without a system that efficiently distributes financing and allows for risk sharing. However, financial markets are also considered by some as the driver of inequalities, and many have argued that practices in the finance industry have to change drastically if finance is to play a more positive role in society. Is the current financial system helping or does it widen the gap between the rich and the poor? How should the finance sector change to stimulate sustainable investments, corporate social responsibility, or universal access to financial services? How can current and new socio-legal institutions of finance re-orient and regulate investment practices to stimulate inclusive prosperity?
A transition to a world that is both more equitable and sustainable necessitates continued and accelerated actions in multiple domains by multiple actors including businesses, governments, and citizens. How should these partnerships be governed and structured to achieve their goals? How can citizens organize to get a voice in these partnerships?
For centuries cities have had the potential to provide opportunities for a better life. Often, they are the focal points for economic, social, intellectual, and political activities. However, increasing urbanization typically goes hand in hand with rising inequality and exclusion and this is a challenge for cities in both the Global North and South. What can be done at the municipal level to reduce poverty and inequality, raise participation in education, reduce crime and insecurity and increase employment?
The theme will color some of the activities during the 2023 edition. Authors are however welcome to submit work in the Business and Society area that does not directly address this year’s theme.
Let’s start a conversation!
OBJECTIVES OF THE SEMINAR
The objective of this two-day seminar is to bring together PhD students, emerging scholars, and more experienced academics to give the opportunity to PhD students and emerging scholars to present and discuss their research projects and receive feedback in a stimulating, developmental and friendly atmosphere. We will explore commonalities as well as differences in each other’s research approaches and themes in an inspiring, sociable, and convivial academic setting. This seminar consists of a mix of plenary sessions, full paper and research idea sessions as well as several workshops around career development and publications strategy. All sessions will involve fellow PhD students, emerging scholars, and more experienced researchers and journal editors.
OPEN CALL FOR PAPERS: business and society
Beyond the main theme of this year’s seminar and considering the interdisciplinary orientation of the event, we encourage submissions by scholars sharing a common interest for, and working on topics related to business and society, sustainable business, corporate social responsibility, the UN Sustainable Development Goals, social innovation, and inclusiveness and social justice. We are interested in various organization-related research fields including business ethics and philosophy, management and organization studies, strategy, marketing, accounting, finance, entrepreneurship, economics, and sociology. We also encourage submissions drawing on a diverse array of methodologies, including qualitative, quantitative, and conceptual work.
KEYNOTES
By Constanze Binder, Associate Professor in Philosophy at the Erasmus School of Philosophy, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Constanze’s research is on interface of philosophy and economics, with a particular focus on the analysis of freedom, responsibility and distributive justice in political philosophy and welfare economics, as well as on the ethics of individual and collective decision making in politics and economics.
There are two possible formats for the conference: full papers or research idea papers.
Full papers: you can either submit a long abstract (around 4,000 words, double-spaced, Times New Roman 12) or a full paper (max. 40 pages, double-spaced, Times New Roman 12).
Research idea papers: submit a 2,000 to 4,000-word short abstract to present your research idea.
Submission Deadline: 28 February 2023. Please submit your long abstract, full paper or research idea paper using the link to the ConfTool submission system.
Submissions will undergo a double blind-review process. Notification of acceptance will be sent in early April 20231.
Registration: Shortly after acceptance notifications in April 2023, authors of accepted papers will receive an online registration link. The conference program and other details will also be released on the conference website in April 2023. Participation is free of charge, but participants are expected to cover their own travel and accommodation expenses.
There are limited possibilities to attend without presenting a paper. If you wish to participate without an accepted paper, please email us a separate motivation letter. Please acknowledge that due to space and budget constraints preference is given to those presenting a paper or poster.
The 2023 seminar will take place at Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. If you have any question, please contact us at bss2023@rsm.nl.
The 2023 edition of the Business & Society seminar will be hosted by the Rotterdam School of Management which is located in Rotterdam (The Netherlands), the city with the largest port of Europe. The event is supported by the Erasmus Initiative “Dynamics of Inclusive Prosperity”, the Erasmus Research Institute of Management, and the Business-Society Management Department at the Rotterdam School of Management.
The event is also financially supported by LouRIM Louvain Research Institute in Management and Organizations (UCLouvain, Belgium), IÉSEG Center for Organizational Responsibility (ICOR) at IÉSEG School of Management and LEM-CNRS (France), ICHEC Brussels Management School (Belgium), VU Amsterdam (The Netherlands), University of Namur (Belgium) and Audencia (France).
More than 20 experienced scholars are invited to attend the seminar. Next to the organizing committee, confirmed guests include Assaad El Akremi (University of Toulouse), Kenneth de Roeck (SKEMA), Jennifer Goodman (Audencia), Catherine Jansen (Université libre de Bruxelles), Arno Kourula (University of Amsterdam), JW Stoelhorst (University of Amsterdam), Frank Wijen (RSM), and many others!
Céline Louche, Audencia Business School, France
Annick Castiaux and Sophie Pondeville, University of Namur, Belgium
Corentin Hericher and Valérie Swaen, UCLouvain, LouRIM (Louvain Research Institute in Management and Organizations), Belgium & IÉSEG School of Management, France
Frank de Bakker and François Maon, IÉSEG School of Management, France
Christel Dumas, ICHEC Brussels Management School, Belgium
Koen van Bommel and Christopher Wickert, VU Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Laura Marie Edinger-Schons, University of Hamburg, Germany
Flore Bridoux, Martin de Jong, and Guido Berens, Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University, The Netherlands