[We are delighted to share this CfP on behalf of our colleagues, the conference organizers at the Institute for Human Resource Management]

Download the conference description with detailed information as a PDF here.

After the success of the previous years and the continuing multidisciplinary dynamic around our Common Good Human Resources Management (CGHRM) concept, we are very pleased to announce a call for papers for our 4th International Common Good HRM 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 – United 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 co-ed book. We will again be offering sessions for both PhD students and practitioners. The format of the conference features as usual 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: In addition, this year participants will get the chance to meet with the Guest Editors of the upcoming IJHRM special issue on CGHRM: Global and comparative perspective, and discuss ideas for submission to the same. Common-Good Human Resource Management: Global and Comparative Perspectives. We therefore look forward to a diverse selection of exciting submissions.

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 do 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).

Scientific Committee:

Prof. Fang Lee Cooke (Monash University, Australia).
Prof. Ina Aust (LouRIM at UCLouvain, Belgium).
Prof. Michael Müller-Camen (WU-Vienna, STaR Faculty Member).
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).

Once again, you can download the conference description with detailed information as a PDF here.