Claudia Buengeler, Kiel University

Stefan Hoffmann, Kiel University

Kristina Nickel, Kiel University

Carsten Schultz, Kiel University

Achim Walter, Kiel University

Responsible innovation seeks to align innovation with ethical considerations, societal values, and needs of current and future generations. However, it operates within significant tensions between innovation and regulation, economic incentives and ethical commitments, and short-term efficiency and long-term responsibility. These tensions have led to observable backlash across sectors, with organizations scaling back responsible innovation initiatives in response to political and societal shifts, seeking to restore previous operational states rather than simply resist change.

This special issue explores why responsible innovation provokes opposition, resistance, and counter-mobilization across individual, organizational, and societal levels. The issue recognizes that backlash need not be entirely detrimental—it may serve as corrective feedback revealing deeper tensions and pointing toward more integrative approaches. The call invites empirical research from multiple disciplines examining the catalysts, consequences, and contingencies of tensions in responsible innovation, including how organizations can develop strategies for strategic resilience and lasting social legitimacy.

Appel publié par Journal of Product Innovation Management. Voir l'appel sur le site de l'éditeur. Fiche de l'appel sur kerostig.

Potential topics

• Conceptualizing backlash across disciplines and its differentiation from resistance to change or non-adoption
• Forms of backlash in organizational settings and links to specific innovation types (digital, environmental, social)
• Individual, social, cultural, organizational, and economic factors driving responses to responsible innovation
• Moral and ethical judgments, social responsibility in business, and cross-cultural perspectives on responsible innovation
• Cognitive dissonance, perceived moralization, fear of economic loss, and political values shaping backlash responses
• Firm strategy, leadership communication, incentive schemes, organizational structure, and stakeholder engagement influencing backlash momentum
• Manifestations of backlash in innovation management processes, decision criteria, and innovation management instruments
• Consequences of backlash for innovation adoption, legitimacy, organizational learning, and reputational positioning at multiple levels
• Strategies for preventing delegitimization including legitimacy building, meaning creation, coalition management, and political activity
• Proactive narrative reshaping through framing, trust building, and resilience strategies to address negative backlash
• Anticipating and constructively working with tensions and dynamics of responsible innovation

Timeline

• April 1, 2026: Decisions on extended abstracts
• April 12, 2026: Optional submission of extended abstracts for PDW
• October 1, 2026: Full paper submission deadline
• January 1, 2027: First round decision
• May 1, 2027: Submission of revised papers
• September 1, 2027: Second round decisions on revised papers
• November 1, 2027: Submission of revised papers
• December 1, 2027: Final decision

Sarah Richard, Audencia Business School

Lucie Noury, Audencia Business School

Pauline de Becdelièvre, Université Paris Saclay

Céline Louche, Waikato Management School—University of Waikato

Stéphan Pezé, Université Toulouse Capitole

The production and dissemination of knowledge, particularly on inequalities, climate change, and biodiversity, are increasingly under attack. These attacks are reflected in some political and administrative decisions adopted across several national contexts, such as the measures taken by President Donald Trump since his return to power. Beyond the US, academic freedom is being directly or indirectly undermined in many countries. For example, in France, controversies surrounding 'Islamo-leftism' within universities, reignited by the Minister of Higher Education, have been accompanied by concrete attacks on several scientific institutions.

Appel publié par M@n@gement. Lire l'appel complet sur le site de l'éditeur. Fiche de l'appel sur kerostig.

Potential topics

• What are the different forms of backlash affecting organizations? Are there 'invisible' forms of backlash?
• How and to what extent does backlash contribute to the deinstitutionalization of established norms (e.g. ESG, DEI, climate)?
• What forms of institutional work produce or hinder backlash?
• What roles do different modes of governance and different forms of organization play in weakening or, conversely, protecting social progress? Are democratic organizations, in particular, more or less prone to backlash?
• How do organizations respond, resist, protect themselves, and participate in backlash?
• What are the risks, uncertainties, and tensions generated by backlash? How can they be managed?
• What forms of collective response are organized to face backlash (e.g. meta-organizations, networks, lobbying)?
• How do individuals participate in or resist backlash (e.g. through employee activism)?
• What is the impact of backlash on individuals (identity, career paths, values, social representations, experience)?
• How does backlash transform or disrupt individuals' relationships with work and the company?
• What forms of individual and collective resistance to backlash can be observed? What are the conditions and effects of this resistance?
• What is the role of researchers and what stance should they adopt in response to this phenomenon?
• What methodological and epistemological approaches are best suited to studying backlash, its mechanisms, and its consequences? What methodological innovations are needed to better understand its contemporary forms?
• How can organizational theory contribute to understanding the phenomenon of backlash?
• What are the multi-level interactions between societal, organizational, and individual backlash?
• How can backlash contribute to the emergence of other backlashes?

Timeline

• October 19, 2026: Deadline for paper proposals to workshop (maximum 3,000 words, including references)
• November 19, 2026: Online paper development workshop organized by the guest editorial team across different time zones
• February 1, 2027: Opening of submission period for full papers
• June 1, 2027: Deadline for full paper submission
• December 1, 2028: Publication date