Call for Abstracts: Philosophy of Management International Conference 2017: Philosophy of Management International Conference 2017

We are calling for abstracts for the PHILOSOPHY OF MANAGEMENT 2017 conference.  It is the twelfth in a series of international, English-language conferences open to all. It is capped at 75 attendees to ensure high-quality philosophical dialogue, and provides opportunities for networking and rich conversation. Typically held at Oxford University’s St. Anne’s College, this year it moves to Webster University’s downtown campus in St. Louis, Missouri.

Special Guest

Patricia Werhane. Wicklander Chair of Business Ethics Emerita at DePaul University; Ruffin Professor Emerita at the Darden School of Business, University of Virginia.

Topics

We invite papers on all philosophical questions, from all traditions, that pertain to the management of organizations (broadly construed to include corporate, non-profit, and governmental organizations). Our interests span all sub-fields, including ethics, aesthetics, metaphysics, epistemology, and the history of philosophy. We also welcome papers that bear on philosophical issues in management education. While the theme will have to do with the public sphere, papers on all suitable topics are encouraged and will be given equal consideration.

Tracks for papers are as follows:

• Facts vs. narratives in leadership. Narrative is a powerful tool for leaders, both in politics and in other organizational settings. But it is by definition a “spun” version of the facts. It poses both epistemological and ethical issues. When does a narrative become a set of “alternative facts”? When is it praiseworthy and when is it evil? What are the limits of its use as a leadership tool?
• Leadership and legitimacy: power, influence, and authority. The rise of populism focuses our attention upon the desire of many—and the repulsion of others--for authority figures. Does populist hunger legitimatize authoritarian behaviour? Does legitimacy stem simply from winning the democratic process (even if flawed)? If not, what else? And how do we avoid the slippery slope of second-guessing the democratic process?
• Public sphere management: responsibilities, roles, rights. How do we define the stakeholders to whom public sphere managers are responsible? Do their roles suffer from the same compartmentalization that Macintyre laments in corporate management? How do the rights to speak out, blow the whistle, and enjoy protections differ in the public sphere?
• Corporations and government: defining right relationships. How should corporate leadership manage the entire spectrum of their global relationships with governments and how should they respond to inducements and pressures? What new thinking is sparked by the current US experience? How should public managers respond to corporate constituents? What about conflicts of interest, when public managers come from the private sphere?
• Corporate social responsibility: a concept whose time has gone? Ongoing scandals in companies with extensive CSR programs provoke claims that CSR is a dangerous racket. How do recent cases illuminate this issue? Are there any alternatives to CSR?
• Stoic management. Stoicism is trending as a topic for airport books aimed at leaders and managers. What are the strengths and weaknesses of this ancient school of thought when applied to leaders and managers today? What about other ancient schools of thought often similarly invoked, such as those of Chanakya, Confucius, Lao Tzu, Zhuangzi, Plato, and Aristotle?
• Managing for sustainability. What are the conceptual and normative concerns having to do with the link between our planet’s sustainability and our management practices? How do these concerns differ between the private and public sphere?
• Patricia Werhane’s work. Werhane, our featured guest, has done seminal work on global issues in management, women in leadership, employee rights, healthcare ethics, and the ethical roots of capitalism. Papers may either address her work or the topics she has addressed.

Process and Timeline

April 14, 2017. Deadline to submit to [email protected] a short paper of 1,000 to 2,000 words, in English, for peer review. Include a brief CV. By May 1, authors will be updated regarding the status of the decision regarding acceptance. The short versions of accepted papers will be posted on the conference website prior to the conference.

June 15, 2017. Deadline to submit full papers. Full papers whose authors grant the right of first refusal for publication to PHILOSOPHY OF MANAGEMENT will be eligible for the Best Paper Award, which confers a €500 Springer book voucher and publication in the journal.

Please go to the website for further information on the conference: