Organization Development & Change (ODC)
Program Chair: David Bright, Wright State University, david.bright@wright.edu
Sunday, August 11 through Tuesday, August 13 of the Annual Meeting.
The ODC division invites submission of innovative empirical or conceptual papers and symposia that are relevant to strategic and organizational change, development, transformation, and leadership. We especially encourage submissions that align with this year's AoM theme, Understanding the Inclusive Organization. This theme invites us to consider the ever-increasing heterogeneity of the workforce in organizations all around the world, which may create challenges to "people's sense of belonging and their ability to fully participate in organizations." As indicated in the theme, "inclusive organizations are open systems of opportunity in which all stakeholders have access to information, resources, and the capacity to fully contribute to their functioning. Driven by broad participation and equity .... Inclusive environments incorporate the cognitive, linguistic, ideological, economic, and other diversity of individuals."
This theme is especially relevant to the values represented by the ODC Division. ODC scholars have long sought to explore the factors and processes that enable inclusion and participation. The Division has an abiding interest in building organizational systems that are characterized by participation, equity, and where "all individuals and groups are valued in inclusive organizations regardless of any group membership or status." The theme therefore encourages us to consider questions such as, but not limited to the following:
· What models of organizational development and change (ODC) may help us understand what it means to build or participate in inclusive organizations?
· How does ODC theory and practice contribute to and enable more inclusive organizations?
· What can ODC initiatives contribute to the development of a more inclusive society and the health and well-being of diverse communities?
· What is the role of leaders and other change agents in working towards the improvement of lives?
· What structural, technological and cultural change mechanisms may be utilized to increase engagement, inclusiveness and well-being?
· What research methods and research practices may help to more effectively explore, understand and positively impact the lives of organizational stakeholders and other social actors?
· In what ways, and to what extent, can ODC scholars and practitioners reinvigorate and advance an agenda that advances more empowering, inclusive processes of decision-making in organizational life?
· How might we understand the tensions that relate to inclusiveness in the context of participatory decision-making process?
· What are the ethical and moral imperatives for ODC scholars and practitioners to create an inclusive, participatory environment?
These questions are aligned with the ODC Division's identity as a community that is engaged with change and changing.
To submit through the ODC Division, please review the submission instructions and refer to the section on information for papers and symposia. The submission deadline is January 15, 2019, 5pm ET (NY Time), but earlier submissions are strongly encouraged. Before writing your submission, we also encourage you to review the ODC Division domain and mission statements. Please contact the Program Chair, David Bright (david.bright@wright.edu ) with any questions.
If you would like a paper to be considered for an award, please indicate this desire at the time of submission; make a note on the title page and also in the accompanying email indicating the award for which you want the paper to be considered. The following Division Awards, some with an honorarium, will be given for the best paper in the following categories:
- Best Paper Overall
- Rupe Chisholm Best Theory-to-Practice Paper
- Best Paper based on a Dissertation (student must be sole author)
- Best Student Paper (student must be first author, but paper can be co-authored)
- Best Action Research Paper
Papers based on a dissertation should be written by students as first author. Papers written about action research may include any study in which research and practice co-occur. The ODC Division also recognizes a Best Reviewer Award. All award winners will be celebrated at the ODC business meeting, which will be held during the Atlanta meeting. Please refer to our website for additional detail on all awards.