Fast Facts
- Workshop Date & Time: 5 July 2022, 1:30pm-4:30pm
- Submission Deadline: 15 April 2023
- Workshop Co-Chairs:
- Stacey Fitzsimmons, University of Victoria, Canada
- Noemi Sinkovics, University of Glasgow, Scotland
What is the Purpose of This Workshop?
International business researchers are increasingly focusing on gender, equality, equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI). Last year at AIB 2022 WAIB celebrated its 20th anniversary by taking stock of how far we’ve come in terms of supporting and developing gender research in IB. In 2023 it’s time to look ahead and start developing new research for the future. The ultimate goal of this session is to develop strong EDI research within IB, improving this area of research for the future.
Who is This Event For?
This workshop is designed to be a resource for any AIB 2023 Warsaw participants who are currently working on a paper about equity, equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in international business, particularly those who are seeking guidance from senior scholars about how to develop their project for publication.
What Counts as EDI Research Within IB?
Papers can address any aspect of EDI, including but not exclusively related to gender. For example, social movements such as #MeToo and #BlackLivesMatter have elevated demands on all types of international organizations (e.g., multinational enterprises -MNEs, international entrepreneurial ventures, international governmental, non-governmental and not-for-profits) to address systemic sexism, racism, and other forms of discrimination against underrepresented and disadvantaged groups. In some instances, these demands have been accompanied by calls for decolonizing the practices and powers of international organizations to influence the economies and social well-being of host nations (e.g. #decolonization).
International organizations face the additional challenge that societal contexts and expectations for the inclusion of underrepresented groups manifest differently across countries. For example, an international organization’s attempt to offer global support to LGBTQ+ employees risks inadvertently ‘outing’ them in countries where homosexuality is still criminalized, such as Cameroon, Singapore and Nigeria (Stonewall, 2021). There are marked differences in how diversity is interpreted, even among culturally and geographically close countries such as Britain, France and Germany. While diversity management in Britain draws on the historical discourse of multiculturalism, republican ideals of equality are fundamental in France, and instrumental discourse of integration is common in Germany (Tatli, Vassilopoulou, Ariss & Özbilgin, 2012). Thus, both cultural and institutional differences add to the challenges of implementing consistent EDI practices internationally. In this complex setting, international organizations need to navigate rising global pressures for equality and social justice, regional demands and local dynamics of EDI.
How Can I Make a Submission to this Workshop?
Email your submission to Stacey Fitzsimmons (sfitzsim@uvic.ca) by April 15th. Your work-in-progress should be included as a PDF attachment. Ideally, your paper should be somewhere between an extended abstract and a full paper. Please include your name on the document.
In the body of your email, specify two things:
- Are you able to attend the workshop in Warsaw on July 5th? For equity purposes, we may accept a small number of papers from authors who cannot come to Warsaw in person.
- Are you a current WAIB member? This will be verified for those whose papers are accepted.
What Should I Expect After I Complete My Submission?
All submissions will be evaluated for inclusion in this workshop based on the following criteria:
- Fit. See above for “what counts as EDI research within IB”
- Potential. The paper’s potential to make a strong contribution to EDI research in IB.
- Authors. Given equally strong submissions related to both fit and potential, priority will go to authors who are WAIB members, from emerging economy countries, or who are at earlier career stages.
Selected authors will be informed as soon as possible. Papers will be matched with top scholars in the field, who will coach authors in person during this workshop session.