Guest Editors:

Professor Ken McPhail, Alliance, Manchester Business School (kenneth.mcphail@manchester.ac.uk)
Professor Mario Kafouros Alliance, Manchester Business School (marios.kafouros@manchester.ac.uk)
Professor Peter McKiernan, Strathclyde Business School (peter.mckiernan@strath.ac.uk)
Professor Nelarine Cornelius, Queen Mary University (n.cornelius@qmul.ac.uk)

Paper Submission Deadline: 15 October 2022

Societal, governmental and investor expectations about the purpose of business are fundamentally changing (British Academy, 2019). In a shift away from Friedman’s view that “the sole purpose of a business is to generate profits for its shareholders”, business is now expected to be a force for good, generate value in different ways and for different groups, and partner with government and NonGovernmental Organizations (NGO’s) to address our most urgent global challenges (Ferraro et al., 2015; George et al., 2016).

The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) identify these challenges and there is also an emerging policy consensus that reaching these goals will require a profound transition in business and societal systems (IPCC, 2018; Köhler et al., 2019). While the literature has started exploring these challenges (the recent special issue on energy transition in this journal is a case in point), the potential for business and management scholarship to help understand the problems and find solutions is not being fully realized (Bebbington and Unerman, 2020; Buckley et al., 2017; George et al., 2016; Muff et al., 2017). As a result, there is a rather limited understanding of whether sustainable and inclusive productivity growth is possible (Jacobs and Mazzucato, 2016) and – if it is – the roles business, the public sector and NGO’s will have to play in attaining it (George et al., 2016).

New organizational forms are emerging to tackle these wicked problems (Arciniegas Pradilla, et al., 2022; Battilana, 2018), while existing firms are reformulating their business models in an effort to find the optimal balance between generating profits for their shareholders (or attracting new investors) and generating value for the environment, society and the economy. These real and envisioned shifts in business and management practice prompt the need to increase our knowledge of how these challenges are impacting businesses and the experience of work (George et al., 2016). Policy makers and business leaders also need to understand how business and management contribute to these problems; how business can help solve them; and the factors that influence where efforts to mobilize are successful or become displaced (Grodal and O’Mahony, 2017). We need to “use the methodological and theoretical toolkit at our disposal to co-create the future” (Gümüsay and Reinecke, 2021).

The British Journal of Management (BJM) will publish a special issue on “Reimagining business and management as a force for good” in 2024. This special issue encourages theoretical and empirical contributions on how business and management is taking on a broader social purpose in order to address grand societal challenges. The collection of papers will complement and enrich existing theoretical and empirical work on the changing nature of the firm, new organizational futures, and sources of innovation and value generation. We are also interested in how these shifts impact business growth and productivity along with the internal management practices and intangible capitals responsible for driving these outcomes.

The call for papers welcomes theoretical, comparative and empirically based submissions. We are particularly interested in contributions that approach the theme from an interdisciplinary perspective. While we encourage submissions on the themes outlined below, the list is not exhaustive.

Political Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) & Democracy. A key question in relation to understanding the role of business in addressing grand challenges relates to their role in filling governance gaps where state regulation is failing (Fougère and Solitander, 2020). While some research views emerging multi-stakeholder forms of governance as promising new modes of institutional democracy (Donaghey and Reinecke, 2018) that can deliver economic and social upgrading (Barrientos et al., 2011), others argue they bypass democratic institutions and reinforce economic and cultural imperialism (Alamgir and Banerjee, 2019). We welcome contributions to these profound questions that bring contemporary developments in political science and policy domains to the study of these new collaborative forms of governance, to help understand how they could operate in ways compatible with democratic values (Scherer et al., 2016).

Business & Human Rights – Since the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGP) were unanimously endorsed by the United Nations Human Rights Council in 2011, a growing body of literature has studied the role of the corporation in both protecting and respecting human rights (McPhail and Adams, 2016). However, the implications for business models and processes of a shift in perspective from a stakeholder view of CSR to a rights holder framework, grounded in international law, is currently lacking from the business and management literature. The third pillar of the UNGP’s, which places a responsibility on business to provide remedy for human rights abuses has also remained relatively unexplored (Maher et al., 2021; Schormair and Gerlach, 2020). We welcome submissions that seek to understand business-related human rights abuses, particularly within a digital context, and non-state mechanisms that provide access to remedy. We also welcome further analysis of the way businesses are protecting social, political and economic rights and beginning to associate the realization of rights with new market opportunities.

Innovation, Entrepreneurship & Humanitarianism – Although we know that firms create value through innovation both internally and collaboratively with partners, less is known about how the different ways in which organizations innovate, impact value creation (and different types of value) (Kafouros et al. 2022). We welcome studies that investigate how the way firms and entrepreneurs innovate influences the creation of value for different organizations and helps address grand challenges. A related body of research is beginning to explore the extent to which grand challenges are a source of innovation and value generation (Battlana, 2018). For example, while, MNC’s have gradually entered the humanitarian market over the last twenty years (Carbonnier and Lightfoot, 2016; Sezgin and Dijkzeul, 2016) business and management scholarship on corporate engagement in humanitarian action remains limited (Scott- Smith, 2016). While we are less interested in corporate philanthropy, we encourage submissions that explore where corporate engagement in humanitarianism is delivering technological innovation; workplace enhancement and access to lucrative business markets (Andonova and Carbonnier, 2014; Scott-Smith, 2016; Zyck and Kent, 2014).

The Generation and Distribution of Economic, Social & Environmental Value – We welcome further theoretical and empirical investigations of how businesses are viewing grand challenges as sources of economic as well as social and environmental value (Ferraro et al., 2015). However, a crucial but comparatively unexplored question that underpins many of the grand challenges we face, relates to how value generated by economic activity is distributed and the role of business in reinforcing and reducing inequalities more generally. The literature is beginning to explore the role that international business can play in addressing social and economic upgrading across supply chains (Ashwin et al., 2020). We particularly encourage submissions which explore how grand challenges affect foreign direct investment (FDI) and other internationalization activities (Buckley et al., 2017) and the subsequent impact this may have on inequality (Amis et al., 2020, 2021). In addition, we know that firm internationalization involves cycles of internationalization and de-internationalization which effectively means that firms often reduce the depth and spread of their international footprint, reconfigure their portfolio of international operations, or even withdraw from foreign markets completely (Kafouros et al., 2021). We welcome research that investigates how changes in the configurations of the foreign operations of firms influences the way in they generate (and in certain cases co-create) value for themselves and external organizations.

Accounting for Grand Challenges – Finally, the literature has identified the need for more research on the role of accounting in addressing the sustainable development goals (Bebbington and Unerman, 2020, 2018). The lack of accounting literature on the SDG’s does not reflect the level of engagement in practice (PWC, 2019). We welcome theoretical and empirical studies of how grand challenges are made accountable and auditable through internal management practices and how organizations are being held accountable in ways which help understand and undermine the extent to which these challenges are being ameliorated (Islam, Deegan and Gray, 2018). However, in addition to studies of how companies are managing these challenges, we also welcome papers that explore the role of utopias and envisioned futures in upholding our trust in the numbers (Gümüsay and Reinecke, 2021).

Submission Process

BJM is published by the British Academy of Management and provides an outlet for research and scholarship on management-orientated themes and topics. It publishes articles of a multi-disciplinary and interdisciplinary nature as well as empirical research from within traditional disciplines and managerial functions. With contributions from around the globe, the Journal includes articles across the full range of business and management disciplines. High quality papers that do not make the final set of papers for the special issue may be considered for publication in a regular issue of the journal.

Deadline for Paper Submissions: 15 October 2022

Special issue published: 2024

Authors should ensure they adhere to the journal author guidelines which are available below.

Submissions

Submissions should be uploaded to the British Journal of Management ScholarOne Manuscripts site below.

Authors should select ‘special issue paper’ as the paper type, ensure they answer ‘yes’ to the question ‘Is this submission for a special issue?’ and enter the title of the special issue in the box provided.

International Centre for Corporate Social Responsibility (ICCSR), Nottingham University Business School, University of Nottingham, UK

csr-encyclopedia@nottingham.ac.uk

Publisher

Edward Elgar Publishing

After a successful first call for entries for the Encyclopedia on Corporate Social Responsibility in July 2021, we are pleased to announce a second call for entries.

Purpose of the Encyclopedia

The International Centre for Corporate Social Responsibility (ICCSR), Nottingham University Business School, is editing an Encyclopedia on Corporate Social Responsibility that will be the most up to date compilation of knowledge on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) when published in 2023. It will discuss the evolution of and future for CSR, as well as situate CSR in relation to the themes of sustainability, stakeholder management, governance, and business and human rights.

The Encyclopedia has the following aims:

1. To offer comprehensive guidance on CSR;
2. To critically present the evolution of CSR;
3. To discuss the state of the art within the field of CSR (such as key concepts, debates frameworks, standards, measures, and practices);
4. To demonstrate the impacts of CSR;
5. To discuss the future of CSR.

Guidelines

The writing style for the Encyclopedia will be critical and reflective, with entries grounded in ongoing debates on CSR. The Encyclopedia should be accessible to students yet interesting for and useful to academics, practitioners, and policymakers. Entries will vary in length but will range from 1,000 – 3,000 words. A Guidance for Authors will be made available to confirmed Contributors.

Call for Contributions

If you would like to contribute towards the Encyclopedia, please send an expression of interest (EOI) to csr-encyclopedia@nottingham.ac.uk, stating your entry topic, by the 31st of October. The Encyclopedia currently has over 170 entries planned. Please consider that a first call for contributors was issued in July 2021 and the majority of entries have already been covered. However, a few key entries are still available. The Editors welcome further suggestions.

Currently Available Entries

Corporate Philanthropy, Corporate Sustainability, CSR and different forms of organizations, CSR and NGOs, Decolonising CSR, Environmental Justice, Explicit and Implicit CSR, Feminism and CSR, Global Value Chains, Intersectionality, Responsibilities towards Shareholders, Social and Environmental Auditing, Social and Environmental Innovation, Stakeholder Theory, Strategic CSR.

Early Career, PhD students and practitioners are welcome to contribute. Contributions from non-European Institutions are particularly encouraged. Each contributor will be asked to provide 1-2 reviews of entries relevant to their academic expertise. Each contributor will get a free electronic copy of the Encyclopedia.

Since 2015, sustainability has also been a key focus of higher education. With more than 190 countries pledged to meet the 17 SDGs by 2030, there has been a growing global interest among scholars to research various topics related to sustainable development. Further, as part of the mission of the higher education institutes (HEIs) to link academic knowledge to industry, the contributions of business and management scholars working on various sustainable development goals and their impact for business organizations has also grown exponentially.

With less than a decade left to realise the aspirations of the 2030 Agenda, it is the right time to review and understand the engagement of scholars in the management disciplines with SDGs, point out gaps in the research on SDGs, and identify ways in which academic research can be used by industry to effectively contribute to achieving various SDGs 

With this background, The Center of Social Sensitivity and Action at the Goa Institute of Management, announces a two-day virtual Doctoral Colloquium on Driving Agenda 2030: Research for Societal and Business Sustainability 

The colloquium invites doctoral students from management institutes and universities across India to share their research on topics related to SDGs. The Colloquium will be held on 18 -19 November, 2021. 

Objectives

The doctoral colloquium will address a variety of normative and empirical concerns pertaining to governance, finance, implementation, technology, and partnerships required for the achievement of the 2030 Agenda as well as for the localizing of SDGs in India.

The colloquium will: 

• Highlight current research trends on SDGs with regard to the management discipline and discuss ways to conduct high impact research on SDGs; 
• Provide interdisciplinary networking opportunities and open up possibilities for collaboration and integrated research initiatives; 
• Promote sustainability-oriented research that is relevant to academia and the industry 

Benefits for Doctoral Students

The colloquium will benefit doctoral students by:

• Enhancing understanding of the importance of research on SDGs
• Providing opportunities to deliberate on the complexity and interdependence among SDGs
• Exploring avenues for integrating diverse topics related to sustainability and responsibility in management research;
• Providing a platform to early career scholars to interact with experts on sustainability and SDGs for impactful research and provide networking opportunities

Call for Proposals for Paper Presentations

We welcome submissions from doctoral students for paper presentations on a wide variety of topics related to sustainability that are relevant to academia or the industry. We will give particular weight to submissions that focus on two broad themes:

1) Responsible Management and Business
2) SDGs and Social Engagements (Academia, Government and NGOs).

Further, each theme includes several sub-themes.

1. Responsible Management and Business:
   Today corporations have begun innovating and integrating responsible management practices throughout their entire value chain. Their efforts to strike a balance between profit and purpose helps them to address SDG 9 (Industry and Innovation) along with SDG 8 (Decent work and Economic Growth). For example, taking responsible sourcing as an aspect of responsible management, this is reflected in the way companies are adopting sustainable processes of selection, monitoring, evaluating and building long-term relations with suppliers based on their commitment to social or environmental causes. To accelerate the process of mainstreaming responsible management more broadly across industry, it is essential for research to address questions such as, “What specific process innovations have companies introduced that ensure responsible procurement? What challenges do companies encounter when adopting responsible procurement policies and practices? and How have companies addressed them? What business and social outcomes have resulted from the adoption of responsible procurement? The fashion industry is another sector where conscious effort has been made recently to integrate principles of responsible management principles into in their business operations. For example, proposal might submit proposals that address research on the kinds of new interventions undertaken by textile companies after 2015, to promote sustainable fashion, and to adopt ethical business practices.
   
   Extended abstracts can be related to one or more of the sub-themes listed below.
   • Decent Work and Sustainability Practices in Organisations
   • Engagement of Industry with Diversity, Inclusion and Human Rights in
   • Role of Business in Responsible Production (e.g Responsible Sourcing, Circular Economy, Green Financing, Green Marketing)
   • Innovation for Responsible Production and Consumption in Industries
   • Reducing Waste Generation (e.g. food waste, plastic waste)
   • Marketing Sustainable lifestyle
   
   
2. SDGs and Social Engagement (Academia, Government and NGOs):
   It is widely acknowledged that the SDGs are interlinked, and that success in achieving one SDG is often dependent on addressing issues related to other SDGs. It has also become evident that an effective response to SDGs requires the involvement of multiple stakeholders, i.e government, NGOs, civil society, academia, and industry. The sub-themes included in this broader theme explore how academia, government and NGOs have conceptualised responsible management; what kind of administrative structures, systems and processes have evolved to promote a culture that facilitates these shareholders in pursuing the various goals of sustainable development. Also included in this theme are topics related to the critical challenges involved in creating appropriate governance structures and mindsets for implementation of SDGs.
   
   Extended abstracts can be related to one or more of the sub-themes listed below.
   • Health, Well-being and SDGs
   • Entrepreneurship and Sustainable Development
   • ICT for Sustainable Development
   • Capacity Building for Localizing SDGs at the grassroot level
   • Partnerships for Implementation of Sustainable Development Goals
   • Sustainable Development and Government policies
   • International Sustainability Standards and Relevance of ESG Reporting

Call for Extended Abstracts

The papers for presentation in the Doctoral Colloquium would be selected through extended abstracts. The extended abstract should be a summary of a research and is expected to meet the academic standards.

• Cover Page of the Extended Abstract should include:
  • Theme: As per the suggested two themes
  • Sub-theme (as mentioned under each theme)
  • Title of the paper
  • Names of Author(s): First author’s First Name, First Author Last Name; Second author’s First name, second author’s Last Name; and so on
  • Name of the university/institute you are pursuing your doctoral thesis: Department, University/Institute, Country
  • Contact details of the Author(s): email addresses
    
• Your Extended Abstract should consist of:
  • Purpose/Rationale
  • Methodology
  • Brief Literature Review
  • Empirical/Theoretical results
  • Managerial Implications
    
• Font & size: Times New Roman, size 12
• Line Space: Single space
• Word count: 1500-2000 words

Guidelines for Submissions

Abstracts (in English) should be submitted via e-mail as an attachment in word format.

• Share you biographic (within 50 words)
• Notification of acceptance/rejection of the abstracts will be sent to you via e-mail
• The colloquium committee reserves the right to decide on the acceptance/rejection of the abstract and the method of presentation
• By submitting an abstract you grant permission to the organizers to publish the abstract in electronic format or in print format
• Payment of registration fees is necessary to participate or to present at the colloquium or to publish your abstract in the compendium

The committee will review the extended abstracts and send all decision letters by 30 September, 2021. The evaluation will be based on the relevance of submission to the colloquium theme, originality, academic rigour. Accepted abstracts will be published as proceedings in the form of a colloquium compendium. Scholars invited for presentations must register by 20 October, 2021, in order to secure their position in the program.

Submit your extended abstract to – researchsdg@gim.ac.in

Important Dates

Submission Deadline of Extended Abstracts	05 October 2021
Notification of Acceptance of Extended Abstracts	10 October 2021
Registration Deadline	25 October 2021
Date of the virtual doctoral colloquium	18 – 19 November 2021

Registration Fees

INR 750 for Indian Scholars (Fee paid before 05 October 2021)
INR 1000 for India Scholars (Fee paid after 05 October 2021)
USD 25 (Fee paid before 05 October 2021)
USD 50 (Fee paid after 05 October 2021)

However, responsible leadership is not the same in the mind of all and differs depending on individual opinion, industry mindset, ownership structure, and country culture and history.

We still have a limited understanding of the meaning and scope of the concept in the African context: What are the particular stakeholder expectations of a responsible leader in the Africa countries? What is the scope of a leader’s responsibility and accountability, and how is this influenced by the cultural context? What are the challenges that leaders in business and society are facing? And what are the challenges of behaving ethically and responsibly?

Further collaboration, imagination and development is needed to specify responsible leadership for the African context, to make sense of the concept and to co-create meaning with stakeholders and leaders from different sectors to shape a better and more sustainable future.

The Conference Aim and Topics

The conference seeks to address these questions and encourage further research and academic-practitioner dialogue to advance the discussion on responsible leadership in Africa.

The aim is to move towards a common understanding of what responsible leadership is and what it can achieve on the African continent. We seek contributions that theoretically and empirically assess responsible leadership and its relation to individual ethical decision-making, best responsible business practice (in for-profit, non-profit, hybrid, international organizations and government), stakeholder engagement, community partnerships, and cross-sector collaboration.

The full call for papers and proposals can be found below.

The Conference as a Collaborative Project

Responsible Leadership Reimagined will be hosted by the USB Centre for Responsible Leadership Studies, collaboration with the Allan Gray Centre for Values-based Leadership (University of Cape Town), the Albert Luthuli Leadership Institute (University of Pretoria) and the Globally Responsible Leadership Initiative.

Submission Deadlines

• October 31, 2021: Scholarly paper abstract submissions
• October 31, 2021: Practitioner presentation submissions
• November 30, 2021: Notification of review results of abstract/presentation submissions
• January 31, 2022: Final paper submissions
• March 16-18, 2022: Responsible Leadership Reimagined Conference

Contact

Email address for submissions: RLRConference@usb.ac.za
Conference Logistical Coordinator: Sheena Maneveld, sheena@usb.co.za