17^th MBAcademy International Conference on Management Businesses Organisation and Innovation (IMBAC2018)

20 and 21 August 2020

Barcelona, Spain

CALL FOR PAPERS

In recent years, Europe has received a number of ethnic minority immigrants who are the most entrepreneurial in the society. Immigrants are three times more likely to be entrepreneurial than people born in Britain (gemconsortium.org, 2017), it has emerged, with 15.4pc of immigrant adults launching companies compared to just 5.3pc of lifelong UK residents (telegraph.co.uk, 2016). Some of the highly successful entrepreneurs in the UK originate from Asia (e.g., India, Iran, Pakistan, Bangladesh), a circumstance entirely in tune with the mood of bullish optimism surrounding ethnic minority business over the past forty years (uk.businessinsider.com, 2017).

The basic mission of human resources is always ‘acquire, develop, and retain talent; align the workforce with the business; and be an excellent contributor to the business. Those three challenges will never change’. One of the most critical issues is the persistent research to practice gap. Previous research on gender equality does a better job at describing problems in human resources practices and organizational structures and climates than in coming up with evidence-based understanding regarding how to develop solutions to address for example LGBT’s bunderutilization at the top of organizations and across occupations and professional roles. This special issue looks to showcase conceptual, theoretical and empirical papers that explore the managing diversity and equality in the workplace.

The special issue has two aims. First, to expand discussions about diversity, gender equality at work, and the empowerment of women considering the importance of this topic and the implications of this topic from their experiences of/at work. Second, the special issue seeks to identify avenues for future research themes, building up on work developed in the past decade about gender equality (e.g. Al-Ahmadi, 2011; Elamin & Galloway, 2011; Omair, 2010; Hutchings et al., 2010; Metcalfe; 2006; 2007; 2008; 2011; Metcalfe et al., 2009; Omair, 2008, 2010; Tlaiss & Kauser, 2010; Scurry et al., 2013; Rodriguez & Scurry, 2014; Kemp et al., 2015; Kemp & Zhao, 2016).

However, human resource management (HRM) too often focus only on staffing, employee compensation and benefits, and defining/designing work to maximize the productivity of an organization by optimizing the effectiveness of its employees. In reality HRM should be much more, it entails also developing employees skills further, making sure their motivation is not eroded by routine and lack of adequate support for their progression as individuals and professionals. Caring for Herzberg's motivation-hygiene factors is not enough, it is necessary to help employees develop their personal and organizational skills, knowledge, and abilities making good use of their skills and abilities, motivating, supporting and making them grow as professionals and as humans.

To this extent it is necessary to assess the best practices currently available in terms of continuous professional development (CPD). Some professional bodies (IET, PMI, CMI, ACCA, etc.) require their members to undertake CPD activities as part of their ethical standard as well as a condition for retaining the validity of their certification. Yet, too often the CPD requirements are limited to the professional domain only. It is interesting that PMI requires a broader spectrum of CPD activities than most of the other bodies, however, this could be connected to the specific characteristics of the project management profession. Another aim of this special issue is to explore the trends and initiatives in this area starting (but not limiting) to what is presently provided to young people willing to start their business and applying for incubation programs and encompassing organisations and corporate policies in HRD and CPD to conclude with the opportunities offered by professional bodies and the obstacles and challenges individuals face in keeping up their knowledge and skills to counter the inevitable time-obsolescence the present fast paced world brings. At present, these points remain unanswered.

In view of the above, the proposed special issue aims to include the following (but not limited to) topics and questions of interest in the diversity, gender, and equality in the workplace study of the impact on Human Resource Development:

Internationalisation and

• Ethical implications, diversity, gender, and equality
• Woman/female leadership
• Gender, organization and international management
• Women and entrepreneurship
• Culture and women leadership
• Gender leadership and identity
• Emotion management
• Gender inequality and corporate governance
• Gender and Governance
• Gender inequality and women's empowerment
• Gender inequality and women's empowerment
• The gender gap in tourism
• Equality and human right
• Sexual orientation and gender identity

We would like to see profound and rigorous theoretical and managerial contributions that substantially advance and challenge existing theories used in Human Resource Development Research and workplace performance in a competitive world. As such an article must be able to demonstrate clearly a significant contribution to Human Resource Development scholarship.
We have no a priori preferences regarding the theoretical stance or methodological approach. We welcome papers using traditional methodologies, survey, qualitative research as well as emerging innovative approaches including the use of algorithms, contrarian case analysis and fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA).
All manuscripts should apply the general author guidelines for the Human Resource Development International (https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/rhrd20). Manuscripts should not have been previously published or be under consideration by other journals.
Submission Deadline: Dec 31, 2020
Decisions: Decision: Feb 28, 2021
Expected Publication: Nov-Dec 2021

References:

This conference will provide academics and practitioners with the unique opportunity to explore and discuss Managing diversity, gender, and equality in the workplace: policies, practices, challenges and obstacles for effective continuous professional development in an open, friendly and informal atmosphere. Best papers will be selected for a potential publication in the Journal of Human Resource Development International.

Format for Extended Abstract

Papers should follow the Conference style. English is the language of the Conference and all related publications.

Length

Extended abstract 1000 words.

Contend

• Purpose and objectives of the paper
• Originality – what is new about it?
• Research methodology
• Findings and discussion
• Theoretical and practical implications
• Research limitations
• Conclusion

Format for full Papers

Papers should follow the European Journal of International Management style. English is the language of the Conference and all related publications.

Length

Full-length articles: 6,000 words in total, including references and a maximum of 5 tables/figures.

Journal requirements for submitted papers:

Before submitting your paper to the journal special issue, you MUST ensure that you have fulfilled all of that journal’s style requirements. Consider hiring a professional copyeditor to assist with your revision if necessary. Please see the guideline for authors by clicking here.

Copyediting is mandatory for acceptance for publication in elite international journals. The ISI-ranked journal Editor-in-Chief and/or publisher will reject any paper that does not meet the journal’s style requirements.

KEY DATES

Submission of abstract and registration opens: March 1, 2020
Deadline for the submission of abstracts/papers: July 15, 2020
Feedback to papers: 2 weeks after submission

FURTHER INFORMATION

For further information, please contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

ORGANISING COMMITTEES

FURTHER INFORMATION

Conference Fees and Registration             

A selection of papers presented at the Conference will be invited to be reviewed for fast-track review and potential publication in one of the following journals and/or an edited book:

European Journal of International Management

SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE

• Dr. Stephen Smith, (Brunel University in London)
• Dr. Ioannis Gkliatis, (University of Hertfordshire)
• Dr. Loukas N. Anninos, (University of Piraeus)
• Prof. Paulo Ramos, (University Lusíada Norte)
• Dr. Claire GARCIA, (PSB Paris School of Business)
• Dr. Javad Izadi, (University of West London)
• Dr. Angelos Vouldis, (Robert Kennedy College)
• Dr. Alexandra-Paraskevi Chytiri, (Athens University of Economics and Business)
• Dr. Seyedeh A H Tabaghdehi, (Regent University in London)
• Dr. José Luis Ruiz-Alba Robledo (University of Westminster, UK)
• Dr. Anabela Soares (Plymouth University)
• Dr. Karen Dennis (University of Surrey)
• Prof. Anthony Olden, (University of West London)
• Dr. Jessie Qun Ren, (University of Southampton So