Stream 6: Diversity, equality and inclusion in the Buffer Condition
Stream Organisers:
Dr. Andri Georgiadou
Senior Lecturer, Department of Management Leadership and Organisation
Business School
University of Hertfordshire
e-mail: andrigeorgiadou.ag@gmail.com
Stream Outline
With more than 100 countries involved in some sort of conflict in 2014 (Forrer and Katsos, 2015), it is increasingly difficult for business to avoid entanglements with conflict in the countries where they operate. One unexplored role for business in the buffer condition - a sustained interregnum between war and peace- is to adopt policies and practices that perpetuate the status quo. Of course, the presumed goal is to move the society toward equality through inclusion. But if there are weak prospects for actually advancing equality in a buffer condition, businesses might be wasting valuable resources and efforts in trying to help achieve that goal. When in a buffer condition, deterring a return to war and maintaining the status quo could be preferred: if not promoting inclusion, then preventing exclusion. In Cyprus, for example, the efforts of the Chambers of Commerce to expand cross-border trade between the two divided communities (Greek and Turkish Cypriots) are better understood as perpetuating the stalemate rather than as a way to promote equality. For those Cypriots and others who understand peace in Cyprus to be a unification of the island to a pre-1974 condition, border trade makes the current Green Line partition more tolerable, and therefore does not necessarily promote equality. Promoting stabilisation in a buffer condition may make a better contribution to the communities in some areas than attempting fruitlessly to promote equality.
Public policies designed to provide the best incentives for business to adopt equality-promoting practices are in some cases premature. The discussion of the role of business in promoting equality by policy makers is a positive trend and needs to be encouraged, but such government interventions should be considered case by case and judiciously until there is a better understanding of their potency and efficacy. However well-intentioned, without a better understanding of how business affects equality -especially in buffer conditions as in Cyprus- recommendations on how business could promote equality may do more harm than good. In a buffer condition, business is not only a critical actor, but could be considered the most important institution in determining whether countries advance toward equality, remain in a limbo of conflict/ exclusion, or revert back to war.
This stream therefore, explores the utilisation of the existing theories associated with a number of benefits and challenges of a diverse workforce in societies and raises the main question of how organisations operating in countries under the buffer condition can actively and strategically deal with cultural diversity and inclusion and establish the appropriate organisational culture towards effectiveness and satisfaction. In addition, it seeks to assess the role of migration in those countries and evaluate the degree at which human and social rights are safeguarded.
This stream invites theoretically informed papers, empirically based ones as well as research posters from a range of disciplines that explore the nature of culture diversity and its relationship with inclusion, the impact on individuals (i.e. conflict, performance, satisfaction) and the organisational level of analysis (i.e. climate, culture, human resources practices). Moreover, papers could explore the identification of those activities that can be entered into force so as to effectively implement a corporate strategy that incorporates cultural diversity as a competitive advantage in post-conflict zones.
Possible themes include:
Conceptual approaches to diversity management; managing diversity in buffer conditions; migration and human rights; cultural diversity as a competitive strategic advantage; the impact of cultural diversity in job performance; cultural diversity and conflict; the relationship between cultural diversity and inclusion in organisations; cultural diversity related discourses of management and leadership; interaction of cultural diversity climate and human resources management; bias and the content of role stereotypes in top management team; managing cultural diversity: experiences and outcomes; the business case for cultural diversity; preparing employees for cultural diversity management.
Keywords
Diversity, buffer condition, borders, migration, human rights.
Submission deadlines
- Submissions to the conference can be in the form of long abstracts (5 pages minimum: length to be specified by stream and workshop chairs) and full papers by the deadline of April 28th 2017
- All submissions will be subjected to peer review organised by stream chairs with two referees for each paper. Deadline for reviews: May 15th 2017 (acceptance/rejection).
- Best paper nominations and submission of best papers to the relevant associated journal (as agreed by submitter): May 30th 2017.
Paper Submission Guidelines
EDI Conference welcomes two forms of online submissions to regular streams. Please register (no payment of fees required at this stage) and submit online.
- Developmental papers: These should be approximately 3000-5000 words, including references.
- Full papers: These are longer contributions of 8000 to 10000 words including references.
The papers should be formatted with 2.5 cm margins, double line spacing, and Harvard referencing style.
Best regards,
Dr. Andri Georgiadou | Senior Lecturer and Programme Director MSc Global Business (IBSA); HBS Early Career Researchers (ECR) Representative
Department of Management, Leadership and Organisation
Hertfordshire Business School
Room M246 De Havilland Campus| United Kingdom | Al10 9AB