Changing Work and Family Relationships in a Global Economy
June 19-21, 2014
The Millennium Broadway Hotel in New York, New York USA The Work and Family Researchers Network (WFRN) invites submissions for the 2014 Conference, Changing Work and Family Relationships in a Global Economy, to be held June 19-21, 2014 at the Millennium Broadway Hotel in New York City. The Work and Family Researchers Network is an international membership organization of interdisciplinary work and family researchers. We seek fresh and innovative scientific contributions on work and family issues from investigators in diverse disciplines. We value all disciplinary perspectives on the issues, including, but not limited to, anthropology, business and management, economics, family studies, political science, psychology, public health, social work, sociology, and related fields. The voices of all stakeholders are needed to understand and address work and family issues to advance knowledge and practice. We also encourage policy advocates, policy makers, and work-life practitioners to submit evidence-based contributions. New for 2014 is the addition of practitioners to the program committee, in an effort to encourage practitioner and policy-oriented submissions and promotion of researcher and practitioner/policy maker collaboration. Also new is organizing the meeting to kickoff with a preconference of meetings of Early Career Scholars, WFRN officers, committees, and member volunteers on June 18. The 2012 inaugural conference was a huge success! There were over 750 presenters and 125 sessions that discussed the latest work and family research from around the world. Approximately 30% of the attendees were from outside the U.S., and represented more than 30 countries. Like the 2012 conference, we expect that the 2014 conference will draw many global attendees in addition to providing numerous opportunities for networking and sharing ideas with colleagues. Speakers for the 2014 Conference include: Lotte Bailyn, MIT * Marian Baird, University of Sydney (Australia) * Shelley Correll, Stanford University * Pearl Dykstra, Erasmus University Rotterdam (Netherlands) * Jeffrey Greenhaus, Drexel University * Dan Henry, Bright Horizons * Jeff Hill, Brigham Young University * Arlie Hochschild, University of California Berkeley * Sue Lewis, Middlesex University (UK) * Phyllis Moen, University of Minnesota * Natalia Sarkisian, Boston College * Jennifer Swanberg, University of Maryland * Shelley MacDermid Wadsworth, Purdue University * and more! |
Fresh and innovative submissions responsive to the conference theme of Changing Work and Family Relationships in a Global Economy are especially encouraged. The global economy is transforming the way work is done. Work intensification and wide variation across societies in over- and under-employment is creating new issues for individuals, families, employers and nations. Advancing technology blurring work and home and social boundaries, the growing power of social media, and the coming of age of the "Digital Natives" are reshaping the fundamental meaning of "work," "family," and "life." Increasing globalization and the growing footprint of transnational companies and growing international work and social systems, requires looking both within and across cultures to understand changing work and family relationships. Indeed, cultural values surrounding gender, norms concerning collectivism and individualism in achieving the greater good, and national attributions as to whether work and family issues are best served by government, employer or individual initiatives require scientific and practical scrutiny and evidence-based debate. Specific goals for the 2014 WFRN Conference are to: a ) Stimulate interdisciplinary and cross-national sharing of innovative research and approaches to work and family. b ) Concentrate scientific, policy, and practical attention on work and family issues emerging from the changing work and family relationships in a global economy. c ) Break down the researcher-practitioner divide impeding the design, implementation, dissemination and translation of work and family research that beneficially impacts workers and employers. d ) Engage WFRN officers, committees, and members in solidifying the foundation and building the infrastructure needed to create a vibrant, strong and impactful organization. e ) Foster opportunities for networking and interdisciplinary collaboration that promote professional development of both emerging and established researchers, policy makers and practitioners. We invite submissions of papers, posters, and symposium proposals that address all aspects of work and family issues. Submissions focusing on basic research, policy evaluations (particularly those with an international focus), and illustrations of strong evidence-based applications in existing organizations will serve as the basic building blocks of the conference. However, we also encourage "outside the box" submissions that include (but are not limited to): theory development; historical perspectives on work and family and how they inform the future; international comparisons; point-counterpoint perspectives on volatile topics; political analyses or policy evaluations; novel research strategies to work and family (e.g., action research, ethnography, new statistical techniques); and solutions for improving the translation of research to policy and practice. Examples of possible topics include (but are not limited to): alternative work arrangements; women's career opportunities; job performance; overwork; underemployment; precarious employment; nonstandard work shifts; lower wage work; stress, health and well-being; work-family conflict and enrichment; family leave; organizational policies; social media and the workplace; public policy; international comparisons; technology and implications for tethering or liberating workers; time use; aging and older workers; dependent care; after-school programs; and the global economy and its implications for work and family relationships. Work and family issues for special populations, including military families, immigrant families, single-parent families, racially and ethnically diverse families, and gay and lesbian families, are also welcome. Consistent with our goal to advance, promote, and disseminate work and family research, and to encourage knowledge and understanding of work and family issues among a broad community of stakeholders, we welcome proposals for innovative sessions such as the following: professional development of work and family scholars (e.g., research incubator sessions, methodological workshops, grant writing, publishing strategies); "going deeper" sessions that focus on surfacing invisible issues underlying work and family; delivering high-quality teaching and training in work and family issues; effective communication of research findings to distinct end-users (e.g., policy makers, organizational leaders); and translating research into organizational, community, and policy interventions. Submission Instructions Submission deadline to WFRN Conference website: October 18, 2013. Submission forms will be available in late spring 2013. Eligibility: Although anyone can submit, only members of the Work and Family Researchers Network who have paid their dues and conference registration fees may appear on the conference program. Dues and conference registration fees may be paid after decisions about submissions have been made. In order to promote broad participation of the work-family community, individuals may be a first author or main presenter on no more than two submissions. This limit does not apply to other session roles. For example, conference participants may be co-authors, moderators or have other service roles on any number of sessions. Abstracts for six types of submissions are invited: - An individual paper presentation
- A symposium organized by the applicant with three to four papers on a single theme, or competing or alternative opposing perspectives on a theme
- Professional development workshops
- Round table discussions
- Individual poster presentations
- "Author meets critics" sessions to discuss books that have broad appeal
- Individual Papers. Submissions of individual papers should provide abstracts of 250–1000 words. Contact information including email addresses will be solicited for the first author and all co-authors. To the extent possible, the abstract should include a problem statement, motivation, approach, brief results, and conclusions.
2. Symposium Proposals. Two types of symposia will be considered: Presenter and Panel. A Presenter Symposium involves a series of papers on a pre-set theme arranged by the symposium organizer. Submissions for this type of symposium require an abstract of 500–1000 words describing each presentation and the major theme that connects the presentations. A list of paper presentations, including contact information and paper titles, is also required. The proposal should indicate if the symposium will include a presider and a discussant. Symposia will be allotted 1 hour and 45 minutes. A Panel Symposium engages a group of panelists in an interactive discussion. There are no paper or presentation titles associated with any individual participating panelist. Submissions for this type of symposium require an abstract of 500–1000 words describing the major theme that forms the basis for the discussion. A list of panelists, including contact information, is also required. The proposal should indicate if the symposium will include a presider and a discussant. Symposia will be allotted 1 hour and 45 minutes. 3. Professional Development Workshops. In addition to the customary academic conference sessions, the WFRN conference will feature a number of professional development workshops. Examples include: o Research incubator workshops o Methodological workshops o Grant writing workshops o Publishing strategies o Interdisciplinary workshops designed for researchers in traditional disciplinary departments o Teaching workshops oriented to undergraduates or graduate students o Training workshops oriented to managers and policy makers o Policy workshops to help explain what policy makers need from researchers o Communication workshops aimed at improving the effectiveness of communicating research to the press and to organizational and public policy makers o Translation workshops designed to help facilitate the connection between research and organizational, community and policy interventions. Submissions for Professional Development workshops should include a 500–1000 word abstract of the goals of the workshop. Workshop leaders should be identified, including contact information. Any workshop participants in addition to the workshop leaders should be identified and their roles explained. Workshops will be allotted 1 hour and 45 minutes. 4. Roundtable Sessions. This type of session brings together a set of papers in a more intimate setting (around a table). You can submit an individual paper for inclusion in a roundtable or propose a roundtable session. For complete roundtable session proposals, submissions require an abstract of 500–1000 words describing the major theme that connects the presentation. A list of up to four participants, including contact information, is also required. The proposal should indicate if the symposium will include a presider and a discussant. Roundtable sessions will be allotted 1 hour and 45 minutes. 5. Poster Presentations. Several poster sessions will be organized to give participants the opportunity to present their research visually with informal discussions. Posters include visual excerpts from the papers displayed on 22" x 28" poster boards. The audience circulates among posters and stops to discuss papers of particular interest with the authors. Posters will be displayed during a standard 1 hour and 45-minute block of time. Submissions for a poster presentation should provide abstracts of 250–1000 words. Contact information including email addresses will be solicited for the first author and all co-authors. To the extent possible, the abstract should include a problem statement, motivation, approach, brief results, and conclusions. 6. "Author Meets Critics" Sessions. This session invites nominations of recently published books that might generate an interesting discussion and opportunities to debate perspectives. The names of potential discussants are welcome, but optional. Additional information will be available shortly on the WFRN website. Questions? Email workandfamily@sas.upenn.edu Conference 2014 Program Committee
Chair, Ellen Ernst Kossek, Purdue University
Co-chair, Joseph G. Grzywacz, Oklahoma State University
Anne Bardoel, Monash University
Orfeu Buxton, Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women's Hospital
Laura den Dulk, Erasmus University Rotterdam
Lucy English, Horizons Workforce Consulting
Jennifer Glass, University of Texas at Austin
Jeffrey Greenhaus, Drexel University
Jerry A. Jacobs, University of Pennsylvania
Erin L. Kelly, University of Minnesota
Susan Lambert, University of Chicago
Maureen Perry-Jenkins, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Marcie Pitt-Catsouphes, Boston College
Jane Waldfogel, Columbia University
Kim Wells, U.S. Office of Personnel Management WFRN Leadership
President: Ellen Ernst Kossek, Purdue University
Vice-President: Laura den Dulk, Erasmus University Rotterdam
Secretary-Treasurer: Jennifer E. Swanberg, University of Maryland
Executive Officer: Jerry A. Jacobs, University of Pennsylvania
Director: Judi Casey, Boston College |