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Call for papers - EDI Conference 2016 Cyprus, Stream 14

  • 1.  Call for papers - EDI Conference 2016 Cyprus, Stream 14

    Posted 02-18-2016 09:12

    9th Equality, Diversity and Inclusion International Conference (EDI) 

    22 - 24 June 2016, University of Cyprus, Cyprus

    Conference theme:

    Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Human Rights in Times of Austerity

     

    Stream Title: Virtual reality and diversity management

     

    Stream Organiser:

    Dr. Andri Georgiadou

    Lecturer, Department of Management Leadership and Organisation

    Business School

    University of Hertfordshire

    e-mail: a.georgiadou@herts.ac.uk

     

    Stream Outline

    Despite the multiple theories and models concerning diversity management (DM) there is a common understanding among researchers, management scientists, and practitioners that promulgating diversity as a concept is still at an embryonic stage. Although psychologists have long studied racial bias, as racial prejudice can generate extremely undesirably negative consequences for businesses, the individuals and the society, still any endeavours to promote diversity's value to people seems to be failing, as diversity training in public or business settings are never convert interventions. Diversity's accountability becomes even more difficult by its complexity entailing many issues including: social cohesion; belonging; educational attainment and social equity. Consequently many organisations regard it as a peripheral issue, while others consider it to be sector specific. On the one hand, it is argued that DM is mostly for promoting positive action on the other it is assumed that "the business case (for DM) positions people's differences for instrumental gains and that minorities and women may be ghettoized into segregated industries and units to serve segmented markets with little opportunity for advancement" (Holvino and Kamp, 2009:399). 

     

    A perusal of the literature into the nature of prejudice indicated that a number of researchers have attempted to explore ways to decrease the accessibility and application of stereotypes and racial biases. One positive method that has consistently yielded positive results derives from the concept of perspective-taking. It has been found that perspective-taking can lead to an increasing overlap between the self and the other (Groom, Bailenson and Nass, 2009). Galinsky and Moskowitz (2000) extended these findings by applying into the domain of prejudice and stereotypes, hypothesizing that by encouraging people to focus on situational rather dispositional factor, they will avoid using stereotypes as a criterion of evaluating and interacting with individuals from minority groups. 

     

    Virtual words allow multiple users to socialise and interact with each other in a dynamic space. Participants within a virtual environment are able to interact in real time, simultaneously, through the actions and choices of their on-line personality. In this respect, virtual worlds have, being a learning environment, the potential to provide a positive learning experiences to trainees by emphasising real world application and triggering stimuli of stereotypical perceptions that wouldn't in a real setting context. Considering the increased flexibility of identity afforded by emerging technology, cultural attitudes and patters of bias may be affected in different ways. This stream invites studies that seek to investigate the role of culture in digital environments, which is not only important for those participating in digital environments; users' experiences in virtual worlds affect their attitudes and behaviours in the real world. 

     

    Possible themes include:

    The role of racial embodiment on racial prejudice stereotypes in immersive virtual environments; negotiating difference through hybrid identities in virtual worlds; creating action learning environments: simulating real-world hybridity related issues to empower solutions; diversity training in virtual reality; the illusion of identity and its role on creating inclusive environments; the effect of embodied perspective taking in immersive virtual environments on diversity management.

     

    Keywords

    Diversity management; immersive virtual environments; stereotypes

     

    Important dates:

    • Abstract/Developmental/full paper submission: March 31, 2016 on
       
      http://www.edi-conference.org 
    • Response to authors (acceptance / rejection): April 30, 2016.
    • Deadline for full papers and best paper nominations and submission of best papers to the relevant associated journal (as agreed by submitter): May 30, 2016.

     

    References

    1. Galinsky, A.D. and Moskowitz, G.B., 2000. Perspective-taking: decreasing stereotype expression, stereotype accessibility, and in-group favoritism. Journal of personality and social psychology, 78(4), p.708.
    2. Groom, V., Bailenson, J.N. and Nass, C., 2009. The influence of racial embodiment on racial bias in immersive virtual environments. Social Influence, 4(3), pp.231-248.
    3. Holvino, E. and Kamp, A., 2009. Diversity management: Are we moving in the right direction? Reflections from both sides of the North Atlantic. Scandinavian Journal of Management, 25(4), pp.395-403.
    4. Yee, N. and Bailenson, J.N., 2006. Walk a mile in digital shoes: The impact of embodied perspective-taking on the reduction of negative stereotyping in immersive virtual environments. Proceedings of Presence, pp.24-26.