CALL FOR PAPERS

Track in Corporate Responsibility Research Conference: Challenges in Diversity, Accountability and Sustainability

13­–15 September 2017, Seville

The Anthropocene heralds a new geological and cultural epoch relevant for studying sustainability (Heikkurinen, 2017). It suggests that since the latter part of the 18th century, the humankind has gradually become the dominant species on the planet (Crutzen and Stoermer, 2000). Humans, however, have not equally contributed to the global ecological destruction but the main culprits of the Anthropocene are the over-consuming and over-producing societies and organisations (Ulvila and Wilén, 2017), particularly the large and powerful business ventures (see e.g. Heikkurinen and Mäkinen, 2016). This signifies that in order to survive the Anthropocene, commercial activity must change fundamentally (see Heikkurinen and Bonnedahl, 2013; Ruuska, 2017; Heikkurinen et al., 2016).

In the light of the Anthropocene, this track will examine the extend to which values, practices and structures of businesses need to be transformed, as well as the role of owners, shareholders, and entrepreneurs vis-à-vis other (both internal and external) stakeholders in igniting and implementing this undoubtedly radical change. Leading questions of the track are: how should responsibilities be distributed between, as well as within, organisations, and what kind of responsibility bearing can be expected from business actors in relation to the challenges of the Anthropocene.

Contributions are invited from varying theoretical perspectives (ranging from critical and political to ethical and spiritual perspectives) and from different scholarly fields (including business and society, business ethics, corporate responsibility, corporate sustainability, organisation and management studies, sustainable consumption and production, sustainable entrepreneurship) and from diverse empirical contexts to come together to discuss how the new epoch of the Anthropocene confronts, and could enrich, thinking about the relationship between business and responsibility, or the lack of it thereof.

Abstracts

Initial abstracts should be emailed to [log in to unmask] by 15th May 2017. Files should be sent in MS Word format, and the file name should be first author’s surname in capital letters (i.e., for a paper with three co-authors: ‘COBOS.doc’).

The file should include a first page with the title and the contact details of all authors (name, surname, affiliation, phone and email). Additionally, the abstract should not exceed a maximum of 600 words and it should answer the following questions:

• Research Question(s): What is the submission’s goal?
• Theoretical Framework: What main concepts, models or theories are used in the paper? Include 3-4 central references.
• Method: Which method is used for the research work?
• Findings: What are the main (expected) outcomes and results?

Abstracts will be reviewed and selected by the Scientific Committee of the conference. Authors will be notified of acceptance from early June 2017.

Papers

The conference papers of a maximum of 6,000 words including references should be emailed to [log in to unmask] no later than 31st of July 2017.

Each individual is limited to one personal appearance on the programme as a presenting author after his/her full registration for the conference. In other words, an author can submit and present only one paper. However a presenter can always be a non-presenting co-author on additional papers.

In order to be included at the programme, at least one author of each accepted paper should be registered by 31st July.

For the full Call for Papers, including other tracks, and more information please visit www.crrconference.org.

References

Crutzen, P. J. & Stoermer, E. F. (2000). The “Anthropocene”. IGBP Newsletter, 17-18.

Heikkurinen, P. (ed.) (2017). Sustainability and peaceful coexistence for the Anthropocene. Routledge: New York and London.

Heikkurinen, P., & Mäkinen, J. (2016). Synthesising corporate responsibility on organisational and societal levels of analysis: an integrative perspective. Journal of Business Ethics, 1-19.

Heikkurinen, P., Rinkinen, J., Järvensivu, T., Wilén, K., & Ruuska, T. (2016). Organising in the Anthropocene: an ontological outline for ecocentric theorising. Journal of Cleaner Production, 113, 705-714.

Heikkurinen, P., & Bonnedahl, K. J. (2013). Corporate responsibility for sustainable development: a review and conceptual comparison of market-and stakeholder-oriented strategies. Journal of Cleaner Production, 43, 191-198.

Ruuska, T. (2017). Capitalism and the absolute contradiction in the Anthropocene. In: Heikkurinen, P. (ed.) Sustainability and peaceful coexistence for the Anthropocene. Routledge: New York and London.

Ulvila, M. & Wilén, K. (2017). Engaging with the Plutocene: moving towards degrowth and post-capitalist futures. In: Heikkurinen, P. (ed.) Sustainability and peaceful coexistence for the Anthropocene. Routledge: New York and London.