Call for Papers

Call for short papers (pdf)

Over the last two decades, the role of business in protecting human rights has gained central importance. In addition to the historical reasons, which can be traced back to the gradual dissemination of sustainability practices in organizations, including social ones, there has also been a regulatory push at the European level. This necessitates that organizations, particularly those operating in the European Union, evaluate risks and mitigate harm associated with human rights violations.
 
At the same time, we have seen the growth of the Business and Human Rights (BHR) discipline (Schrempf-Stirling & Van Buren III, 2020), which is primarily concerned with aspects such as respect for human rights along value chains, tools for preventing violations, and remedies for damages caused by businesses (e.g., Ruggie, 2008). More specifically, BHR appears to be focused on two major themes: (1) determining how to obligate and hold organizations accountable for human rights using the key theme of due diligence, and (2) assessing the effectiveness of corporate actions to prevent or mitigate the harm caused by human rights violations (Schrempf-Stirling & Van Buren III, 2024).
 
However, the focus is primarily on the formal aspects of human rights law implementation, which presents an opportunity for organizational studies to address substantial gaps in BHR research. Organizational research can facilitate the examination of the transformation of corporate human rights policies into tangible actions and structural modifications. This can lead to a comprehensive analysis of the various organizational levels that are involved in human rights compliance, including the organization, groups, and individuals. Additionally, it can potentially improve the depth and specificity of general due diligence assessments (Graetz & Franks, 2023).
 
A key goal of this sub-theme is to center on human rights and consider it a challenge for organizational studies from various perspectives. Without claiming to be exhaustive, one can imagine two different main perspectives. First, it deals with the institutional approach focusing on the substantive aspects of human rights processes within the organization for their implications on regulations, processes, and structures and through the network of organizational actors belonging to the organizational ecosystem. Examples include changes in the institutionalization processes of corporate responsibilities, the emergence of both binding and voluntary rules and regulations, and the involvement of structural and operational aspects of the organization, such as its formal structures and decision-making processes, which have a direct impact on the adoption and implementation of human rights policies (Eilert & Nappier Cherup, 2020).
 
The socio-cultural perspective, on the other hand, can be aimed at emphasizing the role and motivations of the various actors involved in investigating how values and norms related to human rights can be interpreted and negotiated by members of the organization, including leaders, groups, and generations of employees articulating different organizational responses (Brenkert, 2016). Particularly, Generation Z, which often prioritizes social justice, sustainability, a culture of inclusion, and transparency (Nedelko et al., 2022), will also be an important change agent in designing and institutionalizing human rights norms, leading to re-evaluating existing practices.
 
In this sense, the key to sense-making (Schildt et al., 2020) can help to understand how the consideration of human rights can vary depending on the actors involved. The span could range from a formal response solely intended to fulfill obligations to a substantive intervention capable of challenging existing frames, such as profit and risk, and triggering cultural changes, as measured by the characteristics of one's organization and its members.
 
In contrast, in organizations with a culture of wrongdoing, particularly corruption, the affirmation of human rights can be hampered by cultural models that undermine ethics and legality, making it difficult to integrate practices that promote respect for fundamental rights (Troisi & Alfano, 2023). Finally, an important factor affecting human rights in organizations is the turbulent environment, as there may be a shift in priorities where short-term financial goals come to the fore (Potocan & Nedelko, 2021). However, external pressures may reinforce a more compliance-focused approach to human rights, which may result in more resilient organizations through ethical practices.
 
We invite papers that contribute to a broader understanding of the integration and influence of organizational studies in BHR, with the idea that human rights can help reconsider the role of organizational actors, groups, and organizations. This allows scholars to combine diverse research perspectives and methodological approaches. A broad perspective on the topic will also help to address one of the conference's central themes, which concerns the capacity of organizations to oppose normative and cultural models to progressive processes of dehumanization, believing that the recognition of human rights is the cornerstone for avoiding a drift towards dehumanization.
 
A non-exclusive list of potential themes includes:

• HR (human rights) and governance models – the role of business models, ownership structures of work organization models, and the relationship with the recognition of human rights

• HR and organizational legitimacy – the role of the ecosystem and inter-organizational networks in implementing human rights

• HR and organizational norm-setting processes, the actors’ role, and how these norms become institutionalized through various forms, such as ethical codes

• HR and sensemaking – how managers and organizations perceive and attribute meaning to human rights expectations

• HR integration and organizational dynamics – how human rights principles are accepted and promoted within organizations, shaping group-level and individual-level outcomes

• HR frameworks aimed at addressing intersectionality, power asymmetries, and structural inequities

• How personal values and cultural norms influence adopting and adapting bright and dark HR principles

• The relationship between HR integration and justice perceptions impacting individual motivation and satisfaction

• How turbulent economic and global situations (wars, crises, other potential risks) affect HR and its implementation in organizations

• Emergence of new human rights issues due to the economic turmoil, such as the treatment of gig economy workers, job insecurity, unfair dismissals, or the rights of those affected by layoffs

• Explore how Generation Z and its values will change how organizations have institutionalized and implemented human rights

References

• Brenkert, G.G. (2016): “Business ethics and human rights: An overview.” Business and Human Rights Journal, 1 (2), 277–306.
• Eilert, M., & Nappier Cherup, A. (2020): “The activist company: Examining a company’s pursuit of societal change through corporate activism using an institutional theoretical lens.” Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, 39 (4), 461–476.
• Graetz, G., & Franks, D.M. (2013): “Incorporating human rights into the corporate domain: due diligence, impact assessment and integrated risk management.” Impact Assessment and Project Appraisal, 31 (2), 97–106.
• Nedelko, Z., Peleckienė, V., Peleckis, K., Peleckis, K.K., Lapinskienė, G., & Potocan, V. (2022): “Generation Z and ethicality of advancement in the workplace: A study of Slovenia and Lithuania.” Journal of Business Economics and Management, 23 (2), 482–506.
• Potocan, V., & Nedelko, Z. (2021): “The behavior of organization in economic crisis: Integration, interpretation, and research development.” Journal of Business Ethics, 174 (4), 805–823.
• Ruggie, J. (2008): “Protect, Respect & Remedy: A Framework for Business and Human Rights.” Innovations: Technology, Governance, Globalization, 3 (2), 189–212.
• Schildt, H., Mantere, S., & Cornelissen, J. (2020): “Power in Sensemaking Processes.” Organization Studies, 41 (2), 241–265.
• Schrempf-Stirling, J., & Van Buren III, H.J. (2020): “Business and human rights scholarship in social issues in management: An analytical review.” Business and Human Rights Journal, 5 (1), 28–55.
• Schrempf-Stirling, J., & Van Buren III, H.J. (2024): “The importance of human rights for management and organization studies.” British Journal of Management, 35 (3), 1127–1140.
• Troisi, R., & Alfano, G. (2023): “Proximity and inter-firm corruption: A transaction cost approach.” Small Business Economics, 60 (3), 1105–1120.