Call for Papers
Call for Papers
We invite you to join us for the Twenty-Sixth International Conference on Knowledge, Culture, and Change in Organizations, the annual meeting of the Organization Studies Research Network, taking place 25–26 June 2026 in Copenhagen, Denmark and online, in partnership with our host institution, Transition Collective. The Network brings together scholars, practitioners, consultants, designers, public and private sector leaders, and community actors who are committed to understanding organizations as complex cultural systems—shaped by knowledge practices, institutional structures, public expectations, and the possibilities of organizational design. We welcome proposals that explore how organizations are formed, how they evolve, and how they generate or inhibit social and institutional change.
In 2026, our special focus “Organization in Uncertain Worlds” examines the challenges leaders face as they navigate cultural differences, heightened volatility, and rapidly shifting global environments. In a VUCA world—marked by volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity—organizational life is increasingly shaped by globalisation, technological acceleration, and geopolitical instability. Intercultural leadership, emphasising empathy, cultural intelligence, and adaptability, can help mitigate tensions arising from cultural disparities, especially as organizations operate across borders and within diverse communities.
This year’s focus invites participants to investigate how leaders respond to uncertainty; how intercultural leadership models can strengthen collaboration; and how organizations can build resilience and cohesion through inclusive practices. We welcome proposals exploring case studies and success stories from varied industries, analyses of how teams learn and adapt amid uncertainty, frameworks for navigating cultural difference, and strategies for designing organizations capable of responding to emergent conditions. Ultimately, this special focus seeks to illuminate how collaborative, culturally attuned, and adaptive leadership can help shape visionary and resilient organizations for the challenges of the modern era.
Alongside the Special Focus, we welcome proposals addressing the Network’s annual themes:
Organizational Knowledge; Institutional Structures; Publics and Collectivities; and Organizational Design.
Knowledge Experience and Format
The conference is organised as a hybrid knowledge experience, integrating in-person and online participation within a unified scholarly environment. All accepted proposals become Presentation Pages on CGScholar Event (KX), where presenters upload abstracts, media, and reflections, and where delegates engage in conversation before, during, and after the conference.
In-person sessions, live online presentations, and asynchronous contributions are woven together into a single integrated schedule, ensuring that all delegates—regardless of mode—have access to the full program, session recordings, and a growing digital archive. Across all formats, the emphasis is on reciprocal, human-scale engagement rather than one-directional performance.
Publication Pathways
Presenters are invited to develop their work for possible publication in the Network’s journals—The International Journal of Interdisciplinary Organizational Studies; Change Management: An International Journal; and Organizational Cultures: An International Journal—each examining organizational dynamics from distinct yet interconnected perspectives, including management, culture, change, and organizational learning. Presenters may also propose longer-form works for the Organization Studies Book Imprint, which publishes monographs and edited collections advancing research on organizational knowledge, culture, and change. All outlets offer options for traditional and Open Access publication.
Membership and Community
We welcome new and returning members to the Organization Studies Research Network. By purchasing a Presenter Pass, you automatically become—or renew as—a Network Member for the year, with benefits that extend across our online Knowledge Experience and our in-person gatherings. Membership places you inside a shared digital environment where the full cycle of scholarly work unfolds—preparation, presentation, reflection, and publication. Online, members can access conference updates and media, calls for papers, programs, journal and book content, and share their own projects through peer-facilitated community review.
Membership is also activated through our in-person conferences and events, where participants exchange ideas, meet host partners, and form global collaborations. Membership sustains the Research Network, ensuring continued access to its programs, archives, journals, and books—and maintaining a scholarly community where belonging is defined by contribution and care.
Join Us
We warmly invite you to submit a proposal and to join us—either in Copenhagen or online—for this year’s annual meeting of the Organization Studies Research Network. Together, we will explore how organizations adapt, evolve, and lead in uncertain worlds—and how new models of knowledge, culture, and change can support resilient, inclusive, and future-oriented organizational life.
Charles Landry (Research Network Chair, Organization Studies Research Network)
Anke Gruendel (Research Network Chair, Organization Studies Research Network)
Christian Bason (Local Conference Chair, Transition Collective, Copenhagen)
alongside the broader community of partners, editors, and members who sustain the Organization Studies Research Network.