Call for Papers - 4th Common Good International Conference 2026

After the success of the previous years and the continuing dynamic around Common Good Human Resources Management (CGHRM), we are very pleased to announce a call for papers for our 4th Common Good HRM International Conference 2026 which will be organised by the International Common Good Management Network and hosted by the Institute for Human Resource Management, WU-Vienna (Austria), with support from The Louvain Research Institute in Management and Organizations (LouRIM) at UCLouvain (Belgium), The Open University Business School (United Kingdom), Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University (HBMSU - Arab Emirates), The University of Otago (New Zealand) and The Technological University of the Shannon (TUS - Ireland) with the main theme:

Working Together for Tomorrow:
Encouraging and Managing Collective Action for the Common Good

In accordance with our philosophy of open-access, affordability and sustainability, the conference is free of charge and will take place online on Wednesday, 11th – Thursday, 12th March, 2026.

This time, full and developmental academic papers AND practitioner case-study presentations will be accepted (please see below). Selected papers will be invited to contribute to a new planned CGHRM handbook. In addition, we will be offering sessions for both PhD students and practitioners. The format of the conference features engaging and interactive sessions, where each paper will receive dedicated attention and constructive feedback from both expert moderators and the audience. This setup provides a unique opportunity for in-depth discussion, valuable insights, and collaborative idea-sharing that can significantly enhance your research and professional development.

We look forward to a diverse selection of exciting submissions and wish to thank in advance the scientific advisory team of Prof. Ina Aust, Prof. Fang Lee Cooke and Prof. Michael Müller-Camen, and the International Common Good Management Network steering committee for providing their time to help maintain the excellence of the conference.

The conference organising team would also like to express our gratitude to our six partner organisations: WU-Vienna, UCLouvain, The Open University-UK, Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University, The University of Otago and The Technological University of the Shannon.

Working Together for Tomorrow:
Encouraging and Managing Collective Action for the Common Good

There is growing recognition that grand challenges and collective action problems such as climate change and inequality will require collaborative solutions and the coordination of multiple stakeholders (Bernados and Ocampo, 2024) while a stronger ethical reframing in terms of collective moral responsibility might also be necessary (Feeney et al., 2024). Furthermore, in a time characterised by a range of global challenges – violent conflict, environmental crisis, socio-political upheaval, resistance to DEI initiatives, a loss of confidence in democracy, increasing economic inequality and technological disruption, the need for people to collaborate and work together is more important than ever. This is especially true for the workplace and the role of business and management (including HRM) in creating healthy organisational environments, managing a fair transition to a sustainable and inclusive economy and a renewed responsibility for the common good (Frémeaux and Michelson, 2017). Common-Good Human Resource Management (CGHRM) approaches this imperative by emphasising the importance of aligning human resource practices with the broader goal of promoting social wellbeing and collective resilience.

Common-Good HRM advocates for organisational strategies that foster ethical decision-making, social responsibility, and community engagement, recognising that businesses have a vital role to play in addressing societal challenges. Due to leadership vacuums and waning confidence in hierarchical frameworks to deliver systemic change, particularly in meeting the sustainable development goals (SDGs) (Matthews et al, 2017), there is an urgent need for a new mindset, renewed commitment and more stakeholder-friendly strategies to protect the common good (Aust et al, 2024). This has led to the development of collaborative and values-based HRM models such as Common-Good HRM (Aust et al., 2020), which under the right circumstances, can help organisations to sustainably meet the needs of multiple stakeholders while remaining strategically competitive (Cooke, 2025). By integrating principles of the common good into HRM, organisations can contribute to building more equitable, sustainable, and collaborative workplaces that are better equipped to tackle the complex issues facing our world today.
Crucially, as workplace-related mental health issues increase, scholars have shown that Common-Good HRM approach, a critical but pragmatic model grounded on the principles of solidarity, subsidiarity and sustainability, positively contributes to employee well-being and resilience (Lu et al., 2023). Furthermore, Common-Good HRM as a collective strategy, positively impacts employee’s social capital by enhancing organisational citizenship behaviour and reciprocity (Pham et al, 2023). By fostering a sense of shared purpose and mutual support, this approach not only promotes individual mental health but also strengthens the social cohesion within organizations, creating healthier, more cohesive work environments aligned with the broader goal of serving the common good. At the same time, in a polarized and hyper-individualised climate characterised by self-interest, mistrust and competitiveness, securing buy-in for cooperative and non-conventional models from stakeholder groups (e.g. government, policy makers, business leaders, interest groups, civil society and private individuals) is increasingly difficult. On the other hand, Common Good HRM ‘encourages organizations to move beyond a focus on individual goals to give higher importance to collective interests’ (Cooke et al., 2022. p.11) - a dilemma of conflicting ideology which remains a challenge. Overcoming this divide requires innovative leadership that can reconcile these competing priorities, fostering a shared vision that aligns economic performance with social and environmental responsibility, thereby gradually shifting organisational cultures towards more cooperative and sustainable paradigms.

This conference, with its emphasis on interdisciplinary dialogue between academics and practitioners, provides a vital space to explore how this dilemma can be addressed. We welcome both full and developmental papers and (new) case study proposals. We especially welcome high-quality theoretical, empirical and practice-based submissions that further our understanding of how to encourage, manage and sustain collective action to help build a better tomorrow.

Questions and potential areas of interest include, but are not limited to:

Frameworks of collective action:

• Are theories of collective action, e.g. Habermas, Ostrom, (still) relevant for management, HRM?
• What are the psychological dimensions of cooperation and pro-societal behavior, and how can management and HRM support them?
• Are the normative (solidarity, sustainability, subsidiarity) collaborative values of CGHRM compatible with the (competitive, performative and hierarchical) norms informing strategic management and HRM models?
• Is a reframing in terms of collective responsibility a viable option for a management discipline characterized in the past by a focus on mechanisms of individual behavior and agency?

Institutional barriers to employee voice, inclusion and equality:

• What institutional, management and HRM factors enable or obstruct collective action for the common good?
• How can HRM practices be redesigned to facilitate enhanced co-creation and shared governance?
• What organizational cultural shifts are required to overcome the free-rider problem and build trust, reciprocity and cooperation?
• How can CGHRM help overcome institutional barriers to employee empowerment?
• Can CGHRM support efforts to overcome gender inequality and power dynamics?

Management and HRM purpose and collective action:

• How can HRM rethink its purpose to support collective action?
• How does a Common-Good HRM approach contribute to this transformation?
• Can (should) a Common-Good HRM align with business purpose?

Collective action, well-being and mental health:

• How can more shared co-creation and collaboration mitigate the adverse effects of socio-economic disruption and uncertainty?
• How can a relational Common-Good HRM help build employee resilience?
• How can HRM redefine itself as a facilitator of positive workplace experiences?
• How do collectivist approaches enrich existing models of employee well-being?

HRM, collective action and ecological leadership:

• How can Common-Good HRM support the development of shared ecological leadership?
• What needs to happen for employees to embrace more green self-responsibility?
• What new skills and competencies will be required from HRM leaders in a culture of self-responsibility for the environment?
• How can management encourage more cooperative governance and exchange between internal and external stakeholders regarding addressing ecological challenges?

Common-Good HRM, collective action and digitalization:

• What is the role of technology in encouraging collaboration but also in spreading division?
• How can HR managers use digitalization to advance pro-societal activism?
• How can Common-Good HRM help limit the manipulative anti-democratic risks of digitalization?
• What new opportunities and challenges does AI open up for businesses seeking enhanced transparency and knowledge sharing?

Academic collaboration:

• To what extent should business academics focus on practice and action rather than theory and reflection?
• How can interdisciplinary and cross-sectional research be encouraged?
• What strategies will engage practitioners and line managers in Common-Good HRM work?

Conference Organising Committee:

Dr. Brian Matthews (WU- Vienna University of Economics and Business).

Stefanie Neubauer, M.Sc. (WU-Vienna University of Economics and Business).

Bernhard Scharwächter, M.Sc. (WU-Vienna University of Economics and Business).

International Common-Good HRM 

Network Steering Committee:

Dr. Olga Andrianova (The Open University-UK).

Dr. Andrew Bratton (HBMSU-Dubai).

Dr. Nataliya Podgorodnichenko (University of Otago-NZ).

Prof. Çiğdem Vatansever (T. Namik Kemal University-TR).

Dr. Jason Palframan (Technology University of the Shannon-Ireland).

Dr. Saranzaya Manalsuren (London South Bank University).

Dr. Katharina Moreno (Independent Researcher).

Scientific Committee:

Prof. Fang Lee Cooke (Monash University, Australia).

Prof. Ina Aust (LouRIM at UCLouvain, Belgium).

Prof. Michael Müller-Camen (WU-Vienna).

Prof. Fiona Edgar (Otago University, New Zealand).

Dr. Maria Järlström (University of Vaasa, Finland).

Prof. Judith Semeijn (Open Universiteit, Netherlands).

Dr. Nhat Tan Pham (Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam).

Prof. Geoffrey Wood (Western University, Canada).

Date: Wednesday 11th to Thursday 12th March 2026.

Venue: Online.

The online access details will be sent to your email address a few days prior to the event.

Paper Submission and Registration:

Individual (full and developmental) papers: please submit abstracts of 300-500 words outlining the research question, methodology, findings and relevance to the conference theme.

The maximum length of the final full paper is 40 pages (including title page, all tables, graphs, figures, appendices, and references). The minimum for a developmental paper is two pages. Both types of submissions should follow one specific format (such as, for example, 12 pt, Times New Roman or Arial; margin left/right: 2.5 cm; line spacing: 1.5).

Practice-Based Contributions: Case Studies and Reflections from Practice

As a new initiative, we also warmly welcome submissions from practitioners working in HR, leadership, sustainability, social innovation, or other relevant organisational contexts. Contributions should relate to the main conference theme: “Working Together for Tomorrow: Encouraging and Managing Collective Action for the Common Good.” We are especially interested in case studies and reflections that demonstrate how organisations have sought to foster cooperation, co-creation, or stakeholder engagement in support of sustainable, inclusive, and socially responsible outcomes.

Practice-based submissions may include:

• Organisational case studies (from public, private, or third-sector contexts)
• Descriptions of implemented or ongoing projects with collective action aims
• Reflections on challenges, successes, and lessons learned in developing common good initiatives
• Narratives from professional experience that critically assess collaborative HRM practices
• Practitioner-researcher collaborations that bridge theory and practice

Format and Submission Requirements:

• Abstract of 300–500 words
• Should include: Title of the case or project
  • Context and setting (e.g. industry, organisational type)
  • Purpose and rationale of the initiative
  • Actions taken and stakeholders involved
  • Challenges encountered and strategies used
  • Outcomes and reflections on impact
  • Relevance to the conference theme
• Final presentations will be delivered in a 15-minute live or pre-recorded format during the practitioner stream. Presenters may use slides, visuals, or other formats to support their contribution.

Who should submit?

• HR practitioners, team leaders, CSR/sustainability professionals
• Managers and organisational development specialists
• Civil society actors, trade union representatives, and consultants
• Cross-sector project coordinators or facilitators
• Any professional working on collaborative approaches to sustainability, equity, inclusion, or well-being in organisations

We particularly encourage submissions that are open about difficulties, setbacks, and learning—practitioner voices are valuable in helping academic audiences better understand the real-world complexity of working towards the common good.

For questions about suitability or support in preparing a practice-based proposal, please contact: stefanie.neubauer@wu.ac.at

You can submit your paper or case-study from 2nd until 31st of January 2026.

by using the online form on our website: PAPER SUBMISSION

Submission deadline for final full paper is the 6th of March 2026.

We will send out the submissions for peer-review and inform you in a timely manner if your paper is accepted for the conference.

Conference registration via our website is open from 2nd of January until 28th of February 2026. More information on the registration process will follow. Participation is free of charge.

For further information, please contact stefanie.neubauer@wu.ac.at