Call for Applications

Facilitators

Emma Bell, Stockholm School of Economics, Sweden
Robin Holt, University of Bristol, UK
Jochem Kroezen, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Netherlands
Elena Raviola, University of Gothenburg, Sweden
Vittoria Magrelli, Gabriele d'Annunzio University, Italy
Marta Gasparin, Copenhagen Business School, Denmark,
Daniel Hjorth, Lund University, Sweden

Purpose

Craft is “poorly understood when it is equated only with manual skill of the carpenter’s sort” (Sennet, 2008). Instead, craft is increasingly positioned as an alternative, more humanist, model of working and organizing (Kroezen et al., 2021; Ravasi et al., 2025; Roy & Sarkar, 2025) and as a generative practice (Bell & Vachhani, 2020; Yamauchi & Hjorth, 2024). Yet, organizational scholars interested in craft have only just begun to explore the promise of craft to understand forms of work outside of the workshop of the carpenter, potter or weaver.

In this Pre-Colloquium Development Workshop, we will explore how the emerging research on craft and organization studies can address a wide variety of research questions in a more-than-human society, salient not only for the traditional and neo-craft sectors, but also beyond. Reflexively, the workshop also explores how research itself, as a craft-practice, can be a transformative force in society. As such, the PDW provides an open door for scholars interested in exploring whether craft could help shed light on their research ideas or ongoing projects, as well as a platform for those already working within the space of craft to get valuable feedback.

There is an increasing recognition that the making of things and the creation of value for users, consumers and citizens can be re-imagined through craft-based perspectives (Bell et al., 2021; Ganzin et al., 2024; Suddaby et al., 2017). While the growing research on craft helps us better understand how artisanal forms of production thrive, survive or revive (e.g., Rondi et al., 2024; Sasaki et al., 2019), it also promises to offer an alternative perspective on how we organize and approach any form of work in post-industrial societies (e.g., Gandini & Gerosa, 2025; Holt, 2026; Kroezen et al., 2021). Craft thereby becomes relevant for a broad set of contexts beyond artisanal manufacturing – for instance, in digital work, public and social services, community organizing, sustainable agriculture, circular economy initiatives, entrepreneurial ecosystems, and the crafting of research practices themselves. Often, these developments are part of a search for a different economy and, with it, different economy–society–nature relationships. As such craft organizing often also has a political dimension (Gasparin & Neyland, 2022) and may include forms of organized social change through what we could call “craftivism” (Vachhani et al., 2025).

This PDW is conceived as both a stand-alone event and as an entry point into a broader, ongoing conversation within the Standing Working Group (SWG 12) on Craft and Emerging Forms of Organizing that runs from 2026 to 2029, as well as other related community initiatives such as the Craft Studio series. Positioning the PDW in relation to this longer-term platform aims to seed contributions for the SWG 2026–2029 (papers, collaborations, etc.). The idea is to allow participants to plan ahead, to develop projects over time, and to see this as a space also for those who are only now starting to become interested in craft research. We especially welcome applications from scholars trained in other areas and theories who are curious about engaging in conversation with craft-oriented perspectives.

Exemplary questions include:

• How can craft-based perspectives help us to rethink organizing and work in "a broken world" (Holt, 2026; also see Rennstam & Paulsson, 2025; Vincent & Brandellero, 2023)?

• How can craft help us understand challenges and dynamics outside of traditional craft contexts (e.g., Holmes, 2015; Holt & Popp, 2016; Hopf et al., 2025; Rostain & Clarke, 2025; Taylor et al., 2015)?

• In what ways can craft offer an alternative to dominant logics of efficiency, scale and standardization in organizations (e.g., Bell et al., 2021; Kroezen & Heugens, 2019)?

• How might we conceptualize and practice academic research itself as a form of craft, and what does this imply for methods, collaboration and impact (e.g., Bell & Willmott, 2020; Bechky & Davis, 2025; Gasparin et al., 2025)?

• How do craft practices reconfigure relationships between economy, society and nature in different empirical settings (e.g., Bell et al., 2018; Bell & Vachhani, 2020)?

• How do emerging forms of AI-enabled work (e.g., generative AI, algorithmic decision-making) challenge or reconfigure craft in organizations, and what would a “crafted” or craft-informed approach to designing and governing AI systems look like?

• What theoretical traditions (e.g., practice theory, new materialism, ethics of care, aesthetics) are especially promising to advance craft-related research in organization studies?

Format

The PDW is structured in three parts and emphasizes interaction and mutual learning rather than formal paper presentations:

1. Introduction (plenary): Introduction to craft in organization studies and inspirational discussion with facilitators, including short reflections on how they have engaged craft in their own research.

2. Group sharing and discussion (small groups): Participants will be allocated to small groups, each led by a facilitator, to briefly present and discuss their current or planned research projects and explore how a craft lens might be helpful.

3. Plenary exchange and collective learning: Groups will return to plenary to share key insights, questions, and emerging ideas, allowing for cross-fertilization and the identification of possible future collaborations (including within the SWG 2026–2029).

Application

The PDW is open to scholars at any career stage who are interested in exploring if their work could benefit from a craft perspective or who are already working on craft. This PDW might be particularly relevant for early career scholars who are exploring if craft could be relevant for their research. However, we also especially encourage senior colleagues since their presence can help shape the emerging craft conversation. We would welcome diversity in empirical settings, methodological approaches, and career stages.

To be considered for the PDW, please submit a single document of application (.doc, .docx, or .pdf file) via the EGOS website that includes:

• A short summary (1 page max) of a current or future project that is related or could relate to craft and some of the theoretical ideas or struggles you might have. Indicate if you have any more general questions about craft and organization studies. Please include full details of name, affiliation, and email address;

• An indication of preference for facilitators. We will do our best to accommodate all preferences.

References

• Bechky, B. A., & Davis, G. F. (2025). Resisting the algorithmic management of science: Craft and community after generative AI. Administrative Science Quarterly, 70(1), 1–22.

  Bell, E., Dacin, M. T., & Toraldo, M. L. (2021). Craft imaginaries: Past, present and future. Organization Theory, 2(1). https://doi.org/10.1177/2631787721991141

  Bell, E., Mangia, G., Taylor, S., & Toraldo, M. L. (Eds.). (2018). The organization of craft work: Identities, meanings, and materiality. Routledge.

  Bell, E., & Vachhani, S. J. (2020). Relational encounters and vital materiality in the practice of craft work. Organization Studies, 41(5), 681–701.

  Bell, E., & Willmott, H. (2020). Ethics, politics and embodied imagination in crafting scientific knowledge. Human Relations, 73(10), 1366–1387.

  Gandini, A., & Gerosa, A. (2025). What is 'neo-craft' work, and why it matters. Organization Studies, 46(4), 577–595.

  Ganzin, M., Chirico, F., Kroezen, J. J., Dacin, M. T., Sirmon, D. G., & Suddaby, R. (2024). Craft and strategic entrepreneurship: Exploring and exploiting materiality, authenticity, and tradition in craft-based ventures. Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal, 18(4), 671–685.

  Gasparin, M., & Neyland, D. (2022). Organizing tekhnē: Configuring processes and politics through craft. Organization Studies, 43(7), 1137–1160.

  Gasparin, M., Hjorth, D., & Raviola, E. (2025). Crafting traditions and speculative imaginaries. Organization Studies, 46(4), 604–611. https://doi.org/10.1177/01708406251321593

  Holmes, H. (2015). Transient craft: Reclaiming the contemporary craft worker. Work, Employment and Society, 29(3), 479–495.

  Holt, R. (2026). Craft work: Making form in a broken world. Cambridge University Press.

  Holt, R., & Popp, A. (2016). Josiah Wedgwood, manufacturing and craft. Journal of Design History, 29(2), 99–119.

  Hopf, K., Joshi, M., Shollo, A., & Stelmaszak, M. (2025). Data-based craft: How data scientists craft their data, models, and products. Organization Studies, 46(4), 548–576.

  Kroezen, J. J., & Heugens, P. P. (2019). What is dead may never die: Institutional regeneration through logic reemergence in Dutch beer brewing. Administrative Science Quarterly, 64(4), 976–1019.

  Kroezen, J., Ravasi, D., Sasaki, I., Żebrowska, M., & Suddaby, R. (2021). Configurations of craft: Alternative models for organizing work. Academy of Management Annals, 15(2), 502–536.

  Ravasi, D., Svejenova, S., Kroezen, J., Sasaki, I., & Suddaby, R. (2025). Rediscovering craft in organization studies: Perspectives and pathways. Organization Studies, 46(4), 445–469.

  Rennstam, J., & Paulsson, A. (2025). Craft-orientation as a mode of organizing for postgrowth society. Organization, 32(5), 695–712.

  Rondi, E., Magrelli, V., Debellis, F., & De Massis, A. (2024). The evolution of craft work in the strategic development of a family enterprise. Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal, 18(4), 811–840.

  Rostain, M., & Clarke, J. (2025). Meaningful work through craft: How workers in low-skilled roles engage in anomalous craft to gain autonomy and receive recognition. Organization Studies, 46(1), 7–34.

  Roy, M., & Sarkar, A. (2025). Craft approach to work: A humanist model of work in organizations. Management Review Quarterly, 75(1), 557–593.

  Sasaki, I., Ravasi, D., & Micelotta, E. (2019). Family firms as institutions: Cultural reproduction and status maintenance among multi-centenary shinise in Kyoto. Organization Studies, 40(6), 793–831.

  Sennett, R. (2008). The craftsman. Allen Lane.

  Suddaby, R., Ganzin, M., & Minkus, A. (2017). Craft, magic and the re-enchantment of the world. In Management research (pp. 41–72). Routledge.

  Taylor, S. S., Ladkin, D., & Statler, M. (2015). Caring orientations: The normative foundations of the craft of management. Journal of Business Ethics, 128(3), 575–584.

  Vachhani, S. J., Bell, E., & Bristow, A. (2025). The affective micropolitics of craftivism: Organizing social change through the minor gesture. Organization Studies, 46(4), 525–547.

  Vincent, O., & Brandellero, A. (2023). Transforming work: A critical literature review on degrowth, post-growth, postcapitalism and craft labor. Journal of Cleaner Production, 430, Article 139640. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.139640

  Yamauchi, Y., & Hjorth, D. (2024). Tradition, entrepreneurship, and innovation: The craft of Japanese fine dining. Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal, 18(4), 841–862.