PDW Chair: Colin Higgins, Deakin Business School, Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia, chiggins@iinet.net.au

2020 Professional Development Workshops: Call for Proposals

The Social Issues in Management (SIM) Division seeks proposals for the Professional Development Workshop (PDW) sessions (Friday, 7 August and Saturday, 8 August 2020) at the 2020 Academy of Management (AOM) Annual Meeting in Vancouver, BC, Canada. Scholarship in the SIM Division is characterized by our shared interest in understanding responsible managerial behavior at the individual, organizational, and trans-organizational levels.

PDWs should promote attendee’s professional development – whether that be on teaching or research. PDWs differ from the Academy’s scholarly program and are managed separately from the All Academy Theme Program and the Scholarly Program's paper sessions, symposia, and caucuses. As such, PDWs should not mimic, for example, presenter symposia in which a series of academic papers is presented with minimal audience involvement. Rather, PDWs should focus on widespread participation and skill development. PDWs aim to attract and involve a broad audience, including members of other Academy Divisions. PDWs should be interactive, inclusive, provocative, and creative.

PDW Proposals may choose to incorporate this year’s conference theme: 20/20 Broadening our Sight. In his discussion of the theme posted on the AOM conference website, 2020 Academy Program Chair Herman Aguinis notes: 

“The most pressing challenges in the 21st century are directly or indirectly related to management and organizations: conflict, discrimination, corruption, wellbeing, economic opportunity and equality, and climate change. At the same time, there are important challenges that we are facing in our own profession such as changing models and innovations for teaching and learning, increasing pressure to publish in “A” journals, tensions over the MBA market, and the evolving nature of the university business model. We, members of the Academy of Management are in a privileged position to produce and disseminate knowledge to address these challenges.

He goes on to pinpoint some specific professional development challenges that arise in this context, including:

“embracing micro or macro theories and research, using qualitative or quantitative methods, focusing on knowledge creation or knowledge dissemination, emphasizing research or teaching, highlighting rigor or relevance, and so many others ...”

This year’s theme has a strong connection to the SIM domain – looking forward and understanding the dichotomies that exist within and between business and society. Submitters are encouraged to reflect on the conceptual and practical links their workshop offers to how we can broaden our sight and consider the role of organisations, scholarship, and the teaching we do to address the pressing challenges of the 21st century. Connections to the theme are sought after in all three PDW tracks: research, pedagogy, and professional development.

We also welcome non-thematic proposals about other topics within the SIM domain including, but not limited to, ethical decision-making, corporate governance, corporate social responsibility, corporate philanthropy, business ethics, stakeholder engagement and relations, environmental management, base-of-the-pyramid, social entrepreneurship, moral development, public policy, and corporate political strategy. PDW workshops may have a variety of structural forms, including roundtable discussions, interactive panels, site visits, service-learning activities, creative/artistic sessions, entrepreneurial incubators, and other activities that help SIM members develop professionally.

In your PDW proposal, please include the following sections:

1) Research, Teaching, or Professional Development: Please indicate which PDW Track your submission fits into.  Efforts will be made to include an array of workshops on scholarly research, pedagogy, and faculty development ideas.      

2) Workshop Focus and Importance: What is the focus of this workshop and why is that important to SIM scholars/teachers?  If relevant, please indicate how it relates to this year’s Academy theme.

3) Structure and Audience Engagement: (a) How will the audience engage in interactive activity during this workshop? (b) How much time is needed and how will it be used?

4) Outcomes: What will be the valuable outcomes for participants? What useful outcomes can you envision from this workshop that could be shared with SIM members not in attendance?  Indicate clearly the goals of the workshop.

5) Key Biographies: Provide short biographies (~125 words) for each organizer and key presenter.

The PDW Submission Center opens in early December 2019, and the deadline for PDW proposals is Tuesday, 14 January 2020, at 5:00 PM ET (NY Time).

Acceptances will be done on a rolling basis, however, so you are encouraged to submit early. Please contact Colin Higgins before Thursday, 12 December 2019 if you would like to discuss proposal ideas or if you have other questions regarding PDW sessions. All submissions must be made online. Please also email a copy of your proposal to Colin Higgins at chiggins@iinet.net.au