Extended Deadline for Abstract or Paper Submission - March 15, 2022

When we manage business ethics and sustainability we use a variety of standards (codes of conduct, SDG framework, ESG methodologies, GRI guidelines, ISO standards, etc.). Standards play a key role for several reasons. First, contemporary business is full of complex and constantly evolving ethical dilemmas which should be dealt with on the basis of a universal code of moral principles and decision making rules. Second, managers and employees have diverse perceptions of reality and ideals, and are driven by a variety of psychological effects, so we cannot expect ethical performance without developing and promoting a clear code of conduct. Third, world economies are operated by market systems where strong free-riding and negative externalities will lead to overconsumption and pollution if we do not enforce universal standards for responsible investments and operations for companies and governments.

How are these standards developed and how are they complied with? The conference will focus on the relevant issues with using all these standards (code of conduct, reporting guidelines, professional certification, organizational audit, etc.). We will discuss: 1) the strategic role of standards in various contexts and frameworks ; 2) development and updating standards in the turbulent diverse multi-stakeholder environment, 3) promoting standards to the local and global community, 4) timely and accurate monitoring performance with standards, 5) rewarding excellent and sanctioning poor compliance with standards.

• Track 1. Managing Sustainability in the Market
• Track 2. Managing Ethics in the Markets
• Track 3. Managing Ethics in Professions
• Track 4. Developing Ethical Culture in Organization
• Track 5. Strategic Role and Challenges of SDG Framework
• Track 6. Business and Human Rights in Complex Environments
• Track 7. Editorial Ethics and Gatekeepers in Academic Journals: a Stakeholder Perspective
• Track 8. Marginalized Groups of People in Business: a New Research Agenda
• Track 9. Sustainable Procurement
• Deadlines

Track 1. Managing Sustainability in the Market

Why managing environment protection is so challenging? Historically, the market system fails here because of negative external effects and prisoners' dilemma. We need serious collective actions in the form of national and global ethical standards and their enforcement. There were many initiatives to develop global standards: Global Compact, Kyoto Treaty, Global Reporting Initiative, ISO 26 000, Millennium Development Goals, Sustainable Development Goals, ESG indices, etc. Which initiatives were successful and which were not? What factors determine the performance of a global ethical and sustainability self-regulation? Do we need national standards or reporting initiatives and how they should be harmonized with global ones?

Track 2. Managing Ethics in the Markets

In every market there are a series of ethical dilemmas which should be resolved. Every company should adopt a code of conduct and create a system of organization compliance with the code. How do companies approach this problem? What role should be played by professional associations? How is the monitoring system of compliance with the code organized? What are rewards and punishments? How co-regulation as a combination of state regulation and self-regulation may work?

Track 3. Managing Ethics in Professions

There are many business professions which require a high level of professional knowledge and deal with difficult moral dilemmas in making professional decisions (financial managers, accountants, auditors, consultants, HR managers, marketing managers, etc.). How do professionals view ethical dilemmas and their moral responsibilities? How is the code of conduct of different professions being developed? How can the professional promote and enforce these codes of conduct? What role should be played by the government? What role may be played by market competition and online platforms? Should professional ethics be regulated at the level of professions or at the level of firms? How the differences in various professions influence the approaches and experience in ethics self-regulation. What role may be played by the global standards of professional ethics?

Track 4. Developing Ethical Culture in Organization

There are several tools for promoting ethical culture in companies: 1) ethical leadership, 2) ethics training, 3) ethical communications, 4) ethical events. What are best practices in developing and implementing each of them or a combination of these tools? What are the secrets of the effectiveness of ethics training and how we can measure it? What role should be played by regular organizational communications ( mailings, meetings, newsletters, correspondence, etc.) in promoting ethical values? Do we need special organizational events (brown bag meetings, corporate parties, etc.) devoted to ethics? What other tools for developing ethical culture may exist?

Track 5. Business and Human Rights in Complex Environments

This track broadly deals with human rights responsibilities of businesses under constraints resulting from difficult institutional environments, in which business operations occur. For example, contributions could address corporate involvement with repressive regimes or deal with business operations in conflict zones or in states with weak legal enforcement. We also invite contributions to the business and human rights debate, that deal with other forms of difficult institutional environments such as high levels of corruption, widespread organized crime, or situations, in which business face uncertain legal frameworks for their activities. In all these situations, we could assume increased human rights risks that businesses need to address. We welcome contributions from any academic discipline as well as experience reports from business representatives.

Organizer: Bjorn Fasterling, EDHEC Business School

Track 6. Strategic Role and Challenges of SDG Framework

The international framework of Sustainable Developmen Goals (SDGs) could have a key role in pushing companies, as other societal actors, to reconsider their approach to business and sustainability. The innovative and pervasive "top down" approach to the sustainable development offers interesting food for thought. How to embrace the ambitious goals of the UN Agenda 2030 and achieve them? How to face the challenge of the deep interconnections between different goals and targets? How to ensure the inclusion of all relevant actors and stakeholders? How to overcome conflicts, sometimes deep and paradoxical, between particular goals? How to overcome the instrumental and profit-driven approach to these wide-ranging challenges?

Organizer: Riccardo Torelli, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Piacenza, Italy.

Track 7. Editorial Ethics and Gatekeepers in Academic Journals: a Stakeholder Perspective

This track aims to explore, challenge and problematize ethical challenges as well as possible solutions relating to editors as gatekeepers who hold their positions within an asymmetrical power structure. We are particularly interested in discussing and learning from editors who decide the faith of work submitted to their journals – as a means to achieve transparency and enhanced understanding of previously mentioned challenges. We welcome papers that are addressing the above, and consider the following questions (but not meant as an exhaustive list) at the core of establishing a future research agenda.

Organizer: Kristian Alm, BI Norwegian Business School

Track 8. Marginalized Groups of People in Business: a New Research Agenda

This track aims to explore, challenge and problematize ethical challenges as well as possible solutions relating to marginalized groups of people experiencing marginalization in business. They are conventionally perceived to lack traditional forms of power such as public influence, formal authority, education, money, and political positions; however, they still possess the resources to impact their situations, their circumstances, and the structures that determine their situations. Business ethics researchers seldom consider marginalized people’s voices and experiences as resources to understand their lives. Only 78 studies in the Journal of Business Ethics and Business Ethics Quarterly out of the 7500 studies published between 2000–2019 included aspects of marginalized groups (Alm & Guttormsen, 2021). We welcome papers that are addressing the above, and consider the following questions (but not meant as an exhaustive list) at the core of establishing a future research agenda.

Organizer: Kristian Alm, BI Norwegian Business School

Track 9. Sustainable Procurement

Through procurement, the government and the companies can contribute to sustainable development goals, including but not limited to saving natural resources. To do this one would have, for example, to carefully forecast the needs in goods and services to be purchased, and to introduce sustainable criteria for them and their suppliers. How should such sustainability criteria be embedded in public and private procurement? Would this affect competition and efficiency of procurement? Does the market offer those required products meeting the sustainability criteria? What would encourage procurement entities to implement sustainable procurement and what would encourage suppliers to offer more sustainable products? What would be the right approach to measuring the efficiency of sustainable procurement? What role could NGOs, academic and expert communities play in promoting sustainable and circular procurement?

Organizer: Elena Shadrina, HSE University (Perm)

NEW TRACK PROPOSAL - If you want to suggest an additional track related to business ethics, corporate social responsibility or sustainable development, please, send the message to Maxim Storchevoy (Этот адрес электронной почты защищён от спам-ботов. У вас должен быть включен JavaScript для просмотра.).

Deadlines

• Extended Deadline for Abstract or Paper Submission - March 15, 2022
• Notification of Acceptance - March 200, 2022
• Deadline to Full Papers (voluntary) - June 15, 2022

Please, submit your papers to Этот адрес электронной почты защищён от спам-ботов. У вас должен быть включен JavaScript для просмотра.