CALL FOR PAPERS

CONCEPTUALIZING HUMANISTIC MANAGEMENT AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO MANAGING IN A POST CRISIS WORLD



The manifold crises evidenced by exacerbating climate change, the ever-increasing social inequity within so-called developed economies and the increasing loss of public trust in business have long called the current paradigm of economics into question. Given the consequences of the last financial crisis and the path-dependent stability of old paradigms, we are challenging academics, practitioners and policy makers to openly discuss alternative paradigms for economics, business and management. In this HSM Special Issue, we wish to provide space for naming and discussing both new and previously unnoticed phenomena. We seek to develop a better vocabulary and language that will allow for a true repositioning of the economic sphere and the managerial role. At present, the popular press is demanding that academics and academia at large provide such language and thinking. The Special Issue in Human Systems Mangament, therefore seeks to answer this call by allowing contributors to press against the boundaries of our existing economistic paradigm.

We are specifically interested in conceptualizations that embrace non-linear, qualitative, procedural alternatives including the protection of human dignity and the promotion of sustainable well-being. We invite solid theoretical, philosophical and conceptual papers that challenge the existing paradigms of economics and management, and that provide not only a critique, but also a real debatable alternative. Solid argumentation and reasoned perspectives will be considered for publication in the Special Issue, however, we do not wish to call for speculations or essayistic critique. The HSM Special Issue seeks to provide a much-needed space for engaged conceptual development that can provide the basis for further theory building.

Specific research questions can entail but are not limited to:

a.What are the failures of the current economic paradigm and how can they be resolved?
b.What phenomena are currently underspecified and can benefit from better language development?
c.What are the notions of human dignity that can help to advance our discourse in management?
d.How can human dignity be understood, protected and promoted within organizational contexts.
e.Which systems seem to enhance and promote human dignity and sustainable well-being?
f.From which general or natural principles of governance can we learn in order to provide better corporate governance?
g.What are the criteria for a successful transformation of structures that support the protection of human dignity and the promotion of sustainable well-being?
h.How can human well-being be conceptualized in an organizational setting? What can be learned from public policy debates or recent psychological insights?
i.What systems are currently in place that need to be transformed in order to sustain a human-centered business/organization?
j.What alternative organizational structures can enhance organizational success?


To have your contribution considered for publication please follow the below process:


Authors may elect to submit papers to a paper development workshop to be held at the Global Ethic Institute of the University of Tuebingen, to be held in October 8–10, 2014. To be considered for participation in the conference, please submit an 800–1000 word abstract of your paper no later than June 15, 2014 to papers@humanetwork.org or hoegl@weltethos-institut.org.
Abstracts must include the following information: Title; statement of the problems or issues to be considered; statement of thesis and summary of argument; and an overview of the relevant literature. Authors’ names, addresses, telephone numbers, affiliations, e-mail addresses, and biographies (200 words maximum) must be included on a separate page. This information should not be included in the word count. A full version of the paper should be submitted by August 15, 2014. papers@humanetwork.org
Papers for the special issue of HSM must be submitted by December 15, 2014 after the conference via the HSM online submission system. Participation in the conference is not a requirement for submission to the special issue of HSM. Manuscripts should be prepared according to the HSM Author Guide (http://www.iospress.nl/journal/human-systems-management/) and will be blind reviewed following the journal’s standard process. Presentation at the conference does not guarantee eventual publication in HSM Papers should not exceed 12,000 words. Submit to : papers@humanetwork.org.