Business & Society Seminar 2018 - Mannheim

LOURIM Louvain-La-Neuve, Mons

June 20, 2018

June 22, 2018

Mannheim, Germany

University of Mannheim Business School

The Transformation towards Sustainable Business:
Empowering Stakeholders for Sustainable Innovation, Production, and Consumption

The Chair of Corporate Social Responsibility of the University of Mannheim Business School is hosting the 8th edition of the Business and Society Research Seminar for PhD students and emerging scholars.
 You are a PhD candidate or an emerging scholar?
 You are conducting research on Business and Society relationships, Sustainable Business, Corporate Social Responsibility, Social Innovation or a related topic?
 You want to thoroughly discuss one of your papers or your PhD project with leading scholars?
 You want to enhance your ability to write and review scholarly publications?
 You want to meet other emerging scholars and experienced academics in the field to develop your network?
 Then we encourage you to submit your contribution!

OBJECTIVES

The objective of this two-day “Business and Society Research Seminar” (formerly “CSR Research Seminar”) is to bring together doctoral students, emerging scholars, and more experienced academics to present and discuss their research projects and receive feedback. We will explore commonalities as well as differences in each other’s research approaches and themes in an inspiring, sociable, and convivial academic setting. Similarly to previous editions of the seminar, the two-day research event will be composed of plenary, thematic, and workshop sessions dedicated to research methodology and publication strategy. Furthermore, we will put an emphasis on collaboration and dialogue with practitioners. All sessions will involve fellow PhD students, emerging scholars, and more experienced researchers.

 

 

Keynote Speeches and General Theme

    

This year’s keynote speakers will be Andrew Crane, Professor of Business and Society as well as Director of the Center for Business Organizations and Society at the University of Bath School of Management, and Sankar Sen, Lawrence and Carol Zicklin Professor of Corporate Integrity and Governance at Baruch College, focusing on the main theme of this 2018 edition:
“The Transformation towards Sustainable Business: Empowering Stakeholders for Sustainable Innovation, Production, and Consumption”
CB Bhattacharya, Zoffer Chair of Sustainability and Ethics at the Katz Graduate School of Business and College of Business Administration, University of Pittsburgh, will give a dinner speech on the topic “Engaging Employees to Create a Sustainable Business”.
Given the increasing power of business in a globalized world and the resulting consequences which include both positive social, environmental, and political engagement as well as negative externalities, there is an urgent need to rethink the role of organizational stakeholders. Social innovation by empowered stakeholders in terms of more sustainable production and consumption are required and the question of how these empowerment processes can be supported moves center stage. This year’s seminar will have a specific focus on novel approaches across the CSR, sustainability, and social innovation agenda by different types of business-related actors that lead to a redefinition of their responsibilities, roles, and opportunities for businesses and their constituencies to foster the emergence of meaningful, renewed forms of prosperity.

FURTHER RESEARCH THEMES

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 relationships, sustainable business, corporate social responsibility, and social innovation and originating from various organization-related research fields including business ethics and philosophy, management and organization studies, strategy, marketing, accounting, finance, and sociology.

 

ORGANIZING COMMITTEE

  • Valérie Swaen, 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
  • Céline Louche, Audencia Business School, France
  • Christel Dumas and Coline Ruwet, ICHEC Brussels Management School, Belgium
  • Annick Castiaux and Sophie Pondeville, University of Namur, Belgium
  •  Laura Marie Schons, Chair of CSR, University of Mannheim Business School

 

SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE

More than 25 experienced researchers in the field are invited to attend the seminar. Confirmed guests include Andrew Crane, Sankar Sen, CB Bhattacharya, Frank Boons, Guido Berens, Itziar Castelló, Christopher Wickert, Urša Golob, Klement Podnar, Géradldine Thiry, and Jelena Spanjol.