Call for applications to the PHD course (3 ECTS) on “Values and decision-making. Social theories and methods for research in sustainable organizations”
Venue: Inter-University Center Dubrovnik, Croatia
Dates: 10-13 September 2021
Course directors:
Assist.-Prof. Dr. Kresimir Zazar, University of Zagreb, Croatia
Prof. Dr. Dr. habil. Steffen Roth, La Rochelle Business School, France, and University of Turku, Finland
Dr. Klaus Laursen, Aarhus University, Denmark
Institutional setting:
This PhD course is held at the Inter-University Centre Dubrovnik, whose premises are embedded in the scenic vicinity of the legendary Dubrovnik old town. A member of the Inter-University Centre, the University of Zagreb is organising this course in collaboration with the Next Society Institute. ECTS earned in this course are granted by the University of Zagreb.
Course description:
This course is targeted to PhD students with disciplinary backgrounds in the social sciences broadly conceived to include, inter alia, sociology, management, economics, or anthropology.
The course aims to:
- Impart knowledge on recent developments on social theories and research methods for organization studies, with a particular focus being on the role values play in decision-making in organizations of the 21st century,
- Train skills that help participants with developing their research papers as well as a conducive publication strategy,
- Facilitate durable research cooperations among the participants, as well as between participants and programme directors, also foster interinstitutional cooperation at the international level
By the end of the course, participants will have learned about and applied a set of innovatives organizational theories and research methods; have systematically explored the inevitable tensions between value communication and decision-making as well as their impact on the sustainability of organizations; and have further developed a current working paper as well as their skills to develop an original, collaborative research pipeling.
ECTS requirements:
Participants are required to attend all lectures, prepare and present their research papers, take a part in the discussions, as well as to comment their peers works. ECTS are granted by the University of Zagreb.
Course lecturers:
Dr. Klaus Laursen, Aarhus University, Denmark
Prof. Dr. habil. Krunoslav Nikodem, University of Zagreb, Croatia
Prof. Dr. Dr. habil. Steffen Roth, La Rochelle Business School, France, and University of Turku, Finland
Prof. Dr. habil. Vladislav Valentinov, University of Halle-Wittenberg, Germany
Assist.-Prof. Dr. Kresimir Zazar, University of Zagreb, Croatia
Application: Please apply by email to Assist.-Prof. Dr. Kresimir Zazar. Applications must include a letter of motivation (300-500 words) as well as an extended abstract of a working paper (1500-3000 words) to be discussed, presented and improved during the paper development workshop sessions. The application deadline is 21. August 2020 at the latest. Acceptance decisions will be sent out on a rolling basis until all spots are filled.
The is no participation fee for presenting participants. Participants in the PhD course might also wish to consider participating in the Luhmann Conference 2021 on “Risks and Pathologies. Observed with social systems theory” taking place at the same venue from 14 to 17 September 2020.
Preliminary schedule:
Friday, 10. September 2021
14.00 – 14.30: Introductory session
14.30 – 16.00: Session 1
Prof. Dr. Dr. habil. Steffen Roth: Values and data. Towards a digital transformation of management and organization theory (60 minutes lecture + 30 minutes discussion)
16.00 – 16.30: Break
16.30 – 18.00: Session 2
Dr. Klaus Laursen: Values and Virtues: organizational decision-making premises in a complex environment (60 minutes lecture + 30 minutes discussion)
Saturday, 11 September 2021
9.00-10.30: Session 3
Assist.-Prof. Dr. Kresimir Zazar: Linking Theory and Empirical Research – The Challenge of Establishing Epistemic Connection (60 minutes lecture + 30 minutes discussion)
10.30-11.00: Break
11.00-12.30: Session 4
Prof. Dr. Dr. habil. Steffen Roth: How to publish in a well-ranked journal?’ – (60 minutes lecture + 30 minutes discussion)
12.30-13.00: Break
13.00-14.30: Session 5
Prof. Dr. habil. Vladislav Valentinov: Management of sustainability and ethics in the functionally differentiated society (60 minutes lecture + 30 minutes discussion)
14.30-16.00: Lunch Break
16.00-17.30: Session 6
Paper development workshop
Sunday, 12. September 2020
Day off
17.00 Dubrovnik city tour (non-obligatory)
19.00 Workshop dinner (non-obligatory)
Monday, 13 September 2021
9.00-10.30 Session 7
Presentations of students’ papers (including discussion and comments on papers)
10.30-11.00: Break
11.00-12.30 Session 8
Presentations of students’ papers (including discussion and comments on papers)
12.30-13.00: Break
13.00-14.30: Session 9
Presentations of students’ papers (including discussion and comments on papers)
14.30-16.00: Lunch Break
16.00-17.30: Session 10
Concluding discussion and reflection on the values of science
17.30 Course evaluation
Background literature:
- Laursen K. B. and Noe E. (2017), The hybrid media of economy and moral: A Luhmannian perspective on value-based-food-chains, Journal of Rural Studies, Vol. 56, pp. 21-29.
- Luhmann N. (1992), The code of the moral, Cardozo Law Review, Vol. 14, pp. 995-1009.
- Luhmann N. (1996), The sociology of the moral and ethics, International Sociology, Vol. 11 No. 1, pp. 27-36.
- Roth S., Schwede P., Valentinov V., Zazar K., and Kaivo-oja J. (2019), Big data insights into social macro trends (1800-2000): A replication study, Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Vol. 149, 119759.
- Roth S., Schwede P., Valentinov V., Pérez-Valls M., and Kaivo-oja J. (2020), Harnessing big data for a multifunctional theory of the firm, European Management Journal, Vol. 38 No. 1, pp. 54-61.
- Roth S., Valentinov V., Heidingsfelder M., and Pérez-Valls M. (2020), CSR beyond Economy and Society. A post-capitalist approach, Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 165 No. 3, pp. 411-423.
- Roth S. and Valentinov V. (2020), East of nature. Accounting for the environments of social sciences, Ecological Economics, Vol. 176, 106734.
- Valentinov V. and Pérez-Valls M. (2021). A conception of moral wayfinding for business managers: The obligation for a sustainable corporation, Journal of Cleaner Production, 284, 124771.
- Valentinov V., Roth S., and Pies I. (2021), Social goals in the theory of the firm: a systems theory view, Administration and Society, Vol. 53 No. 2, pp. 273–304.
- Ward S. (2017), From Fontainebleau to Facebook: the early modern discourse of sincerity and its echoes in the contemporary discourse of transparency, Systems Research and Behavioral Science, Vol. 34 No. 2, pp. 139-147.
- Zazar, K. (2016), Examining sociology’s position in an increasingly interdisciplinary environment, Družboslovne razprave, Vol. 32 No. 83, pp. 45-62.