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call for abstracts: Inclusive work environments in developed and emerging markets

  • 1.  call for abstracts: Inclusive work environments in developed and emerging markets

    Posted 10-25-2011 07:56
    Call for abstracts EDI conference 2012

    Apologies for cross-posting

    - Towards the creation of diverse and inclusive work environments: change
    considerations for developed and emerging markets -

    The 5th EDI conference will be held in Toulouse, Southwest France, 23-25
    July 2012. It will provide an exciting forum for encounters and
    publication projects in a stimulating intellectual, cultural and
    historical environment. Transnational streams and papers involving
    multiple countries will be welcome to this conference. More information
    about the conference can be found at http://www.edi-conference.org

    Convenors:
    Marieke van den Brink, Radboud University Nijmegen, Netherlands
    Preeya Daya, University of Cape Town, Graduate School of Business, South
    Africa

    Keywords: Diversity, Inclusion, Sustainable change, Intersectionality,
    Interventions

    The creation of inclusive work environments is seen as a progression on a
    focus on demographic representivity in the workplace. While demographic
    representation focuses on the representation of visible and invisible
    differences (Milliken and Martins,1996) present in the operating
    environment of the organisation, inclusion is a state of being valued,
    respected, and supported and is created through systemically evolving
    organisations’ strategy and practices (Ferdman, 2007).

    This stream serves to explore change considerations which affect the
    implementation and ultimate success of inclusion in organisations. While
    literature on diversity management is easily accessible (Thomas, 2010;
    Thomas, 2006; Prasad, Pringle and Konrad, 2006), the access to theory on
    inclusion related practices are less available. Further, literature
    relating specifically to diversity and inclusion change practices in
    organisations is rarely considered. The aim of this stream is to advance
    contemporary thinking about diversity and inclusion theory and practice by
    bringing together international scholars with an interest in diversity and
    inclusion (including intersectionality) and sustainable (planned) change.

    This includes the challenges of the intersectionality of different forms
    of diversity including race, gender, ethnicity, and religion which are
    further complicated by national, regional, organizational, historical,
    transnational or societal-level orientations. We invite theoretically
    and/or empirically informed papers relating to diversity and inclusion
    from different disciplines that deepen our understanding of change
    considerations which influence and actualise diverse and inclusive work
    environments.

    Your research might relate to:
    - Frameworks that bridge the gap between theory and organizational change.
    - How to leave behind the “ivory towers” and link up with other social
    actors to bring about real change?
    - The challenges and opportunities for introducing critical frameworks
    into the practice of organisational change.
    - The national, regional, organizational, historical, transnational or
    societal-level orientations factors which influence the creation of
    inclusive work environments.
    - The organisational, relational or individual factors which aid or hinder
    diversity and inclusion change practice within organisations (factors
    which influence the change from happening)
    - The change challenges which influence the success of a change process to
    a diverse and inclusive work environment (factors which affect the change
    process).

    Successful papers will be invited to contribute to a special issue on
    diversity and inclusion change considerations in the Equality, Diversity
    and Inclusion Journal.

    Abstracts of approximately 500 words are invited by 1st January 2012, with
    decisions on acceptance to be made by stream leaders within one month.
    Abstacts should be emailed to mcl.vandenbrink@fm.ru.nl