This special issue examines how digital infrastructures shape and enable societal transformation during periods of significant change. The issue seeks research that explores the complex relationships between technology, society, and organizational systems as they adapt and evolve in response to digital innovations.

Appel publié par Information and Organization. Voir l'appel sur le site de l'éditeur. Fiche de l'appel sur kerostig.

Timeline

• March 30, 2027: Submission deadline

Seulki Lee-Geiller, University at Albany, State University of New York

Mila Gascó-Hernández, University at Albany, State University of New York

This special issue examines how artificial intelligence becomes embedded and institutionalized within local governments and the consequent transformations in governance. While AI scholarship typically focuses on national initiatives or public administration broadly, local governments have distinctive conditions that warrant focused attention. The issue seeks to understand not just adoption and implementation of AI systems, but how AI reshapes everyday administrative practice, institutional capabilities, organizational structures, and democratic engagement.

The special issue addresses three interconnected dimensions. First, institutional capacity examines how local governments build lasting infrastructure, expertise, and governance structures to support AI sustainably. Second, organizational arrangements explore how AI influences administrative routines, professional roles, and authority distribution. Third, democratic practices investigate how citizens participate in and influence AI integration decisions. The issue welcomes diverse methodological approaches and comparative research across different municipalities and policy sectors.

Appel publié par Local Government Studies. Voir l'appel sur le site de l'éditeur. Fiche de l'appel sur kerostig.

Potential topics

• How local governments build and sustain infrastructure, expertise, learning systems, governance arrangements, and collaborative capacity to support AI over time
• What enduring capabilities allow local governments to institutionalize AI
• How AI integration affects the capacity of local governments to carry out their main responsibilities
• How local governments learn from pilots, failures, and unintended outcomes
• How local governments address gaps in technical and professional expertise under resource constraints
• How AI changes administrative routines, workflows, and professional roles
• How authority, expertise, discretion, and responsibility are reorganized around AI
• Accountability and responsibility when decisions are jointly produced by officials and AI systems
• How local government uses of AI are authorized, explained, scrutinized, and revised
• How AI integration changes interactions between local governments and citizens
• How local governments involve residents in developing AI guidelines and governance frameworks
• How public feedback and community concerns regarding AI-assisted public services are incorporated into AI institutionalization

Timeline

• November 1, 2026: Abstract submission deadline
• March 1, 2027: Full manuscript submission deadline

Scott Lichtenstein, Birmingham City University Business School

Paul Aitken, Nelson-Marlborough Institute of Technology

Krish Saha, Birmingham City University Business School

Helen Kopnina, University of Northumbria

Truzaar Dordi, University of York

This special issue seeks interdisciplinary research exploring how managers can develop sustainability leadership capacity across interconnected levels. The focus spans macro outcomes related to compassionate flourishing and planetary health, meso-level organizational and community goals, and micro-level personal values and behavioral inputs of managers. The issue aims to identify connection points in the entire sustainability leadership development system.

Through contributions from diverse scholars, the special issue will examine how sustainability leadership capability can serve as a positive force in addressing global challenges, how it can be applied systematically within organizations and communities, and how managers' personal values and morals translate into sustainable behaviors and decisions. Recommendations emerging from the issue are intended to benefit academics, practitioners, and broader environmental outcomes.

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

Potential topics

• Sustainability leadership capability development for managers as a force for positive change and compassionate flourishing
• Anthropocentric assumptions limiting leaders' engagement with planetary health and multi-species justice
• Systematic and systemic application of sustainability leadership capability development for resolving complex and disruptive challenges
• Personal values and morals as drivers of managers' sustainability leadership behaviors, decisions and actions
• Benevolent influence through individual and collective agency in sustainability leadership development

Timeline

• January 9, 2026: Opening date for manuscript submissions
• December 31, 2026: Closing date for manuscript submissions

David Kroon, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

Olimpia Meglio, University of Naples "Federico II"

Nicola Mirc, Toulouse School of Management

Audrey Rouzies, Toulouse School of Management

Satu Teerikangas, Turku University

Mergers and acquisitions serve as significant catalysts for organizational change, enabling leaders to reshape organizational boundaries and develop new capabilities. However, their implications extend far beyond the merging firms to affect employees, managers, customers, and communities. While M&A research has explored various themes and theoretical perspectives, most special issues have adopted narrow lenses focusing on single aspects like organizational culture or post-merger integration, leaving fundamental questions about how these large-scale transformations unfold.

M&As represent profound episodes of organizational change that disrupt established structures and challenge existing cultures. Yet research on M&As and change management has largely evolved separately, addressing similar questions about how people respond to uncertainty and how leaders enable adaptation without meaningful cross-fertilization. This special issue seeks to bridge these research communities, offering fresh perspectives on how actors at multiple levels shape M&A outcomes and navigate the tension between strategic ambition and human adaptability.

Appel publié par Journal of Change Management. Lire l'appel complet sur le site de l'éditeur. Fiche de l'appel sur kerostig.

Potential topics

• M&As as continuous change: how firms handle deliberate design versus evolving circumstances, intended versus unintended change trajectories, and seizing opportunities while mitigating threats
• Leadership and employee change agency in M&As: employees as sense makers, boundary spanners, and informal leaders; proactive versus passive roles in integration
• Emotions and irrationality in M&As: hubris, anxiety, grief, excitement, overconfidence, and escalation of commitment in M&A decisions and integration
• Changing relationships in M&As: renegotiating internal relationships among employees, teams, and leaders; external relationships with suppliers, customers, regulators, and communities; trust, social capital, and power dynamics
• Digitalization and Technology in M&As: AI-driven analytics, ERP systems, collaboration software; digital capabilities as deal drivers; technology's impact on cultural dynamics and integration speed
• M&As and Grand Challenges: role of M&As in addressing environmental degradation and global crises; economic and social sustainability; M&As as a force for good

Timeline

• August 1, 2026: Submission starting date
• October 31, 2026: Closing date

Alberto Di Minin, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna

Federico Frattini, Politecnico di Milano

Agnieszka Radziwon, University of Southern Denmark

Krithika Randhawa, The University of Sydney

Joel West, Keck Graduate Institute

This special issue celebrates Henry Chesbrough's foundational work on open innovation and explores how organizations are putting these principles into practice within their R&D functions. The editors seek research examining how firms implement and manage open innovation through three interconnected dimensions: the strategic processes and structural changes required, the people and capabilities needed to succeed, and the performance measurement approaches for evaluating OI initiatives.

The journal seeks contributions that address real-world challenges R&D and innovation managers face when transitioning from closed to open processes, including technology strategy, partnership governance, organizational design, and digital transformation. Particularly valued are insights from practitioners and academic-practitioner collaborations that bridge theory and practice, along with research highlighting how open innovation applies across different organizational sizes, industries, and contexts including energy transition and geopolitical shifts.

Appel publié par R and D Management. Voir l'appel sur le site de l'éditeur. Fiche de l'appel sur kerostig.

Potential topics

• How do companies build innovation strategies that leverage on OI?
• How are budgets for OI projects established and allocated?
• How do businesses roadmap the development of key technologies by making use of Open Innovation?
• How are new strategies for OI (such as venture clienting and venture building) evaluated and implemented?
• What factors influence the successful implementation of new strategies for OI (such as venture clienting and venture building)?
• What specific search strategies and scouting processes are most effective for identifying valuable external knowledge/technology for R&D?
• How are R&D processes (e.g., stage-gate, agile) adapted to effectively integrate external inputs and manage outbound knowledge flows?
• What digital tools and platforms are used to manage OI processes in R&D, and what is their impact?
• How do firms manage the transition from closed to open R&D processes?
• What are the best practices for managing intellectual property (IP) in collaborative R&D projects under an OI paradigm?
• How do firms effectively evaluate and select external partners for R&D collaboration?
• How does firm size (SME vs. large enterprise) influence organizational design choices for managing OI in R&D?
• How do firms overcome internal resistance (e.g., 'Not-Invented-Here' syndrome) when implementing OI in R&D?
• What is the role of middle managers in facilitating or hindering OI adoption within R&D departments?
• What specific skills, capabilities, and mindsets are required for R&D personnel (researchers, managers) operating in an OI environment?
• How can organizations cultivate an 'open' culture within R&D, that encourages both internal sharing and external engagement?
• Which leadership styles are most effective in managing OI initiatives within R&D teams?
• How are performance management and incentive systems adapted to motivate R&D employees' participation in OI activities?
• What is the role of individual absorptive capacity and boundary-spanning activities of R&D personnel in OI success?
• Which capabilities companies need to develop to successfully work with different types of service providers?
• How can AI enable and support OI projects in R&D and innovation functions?
• What ethical considerations arise in the operational management of OI within R&D (e.g., knowledge appropriation, fairness to external contributors)?
• What metrics do R&D departments use to track the inputs, throughputs, and outputs of their OI activities?
• How can the contribution of OI to R&D project success and overall R&D performance be effectively measured and demonstrated?
• What are the key challenges in measuring the ROI of specific OI tactics within R&D?
• What are the good practices for selecting the right service provider, based on different R&D and innovation needs?

Timeline

• January 2, 2026: Conference submission system opens
• February 1, 2026: Deadline for electronic submission of papers to the conference
• March 1, 2026: Notification of authors regarding acceptance to the conference
• April 20, 2026: Special Issue Conference held at Luiss University
• June 15, 2026: Submission deadline for extended abstracts (max 3 pages) for Academy of Management Researching Open Innovation PDW
• September 1, 2026: Time window to submit full paper through the R&D Management Journal Website
• September 15, 2026: Submission deadline

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

Rick Delbridge, Cardiff University

Bill Harley, University of Melbourne

Paolo Quattrone, Alliance Manchester Business School

Kerstin Sahlin, Uppsala University

Universities face unprecedented challenges including COVID-19, geopolitical tensions, financial pressures, and generative AI that require fundamental organizational innovation. While previous research has examined how universities contribute to industry innovation through collaborations, comparatively little attention has been paid to how universities innovate themselves as organizations to survive these turbulent times.

This special issue seeks interdisciplinary contributions examining universities' ability to innovate internally across governance, culture, leadership, capabilities, ecosystem engagement, work environments, and societal missions. The issue welcomes theoretical and empirical research exploring what drives, enables, or constrains innovation within universities.

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

• Innovation in Governance and Strategy - governance structures, decision-making processes, exploration vs. exploitation, hybrid/ambidextrous organizations, organizational structures, business models, digital transformation, and generative AI
• Innovation in Culture and Leadership - culture of resistance to change, leadership styles, governance models, organizational cultures, academic autonomy, professional communities of practice, and organizational agility
• Organizational Structures, Capabilities and Learning - organizational structures and innovation diffusion, organizational learning processes, capabilities, routines, institutional logics, and alternative organizational forms
• Ecosystem Engagement and Open Innovation - global networks, international partnerships, orchestrating roles as hubs/intermediaries/boundary spanners, network structures, intra-university collaborations, alliances, partnerships with industry/government/civil society, and balancing academic independence with collaborative demands
• Innovation for Wellbeing and Work Environment - designing healthier and inclusive work environments, participatory innovation and co-design, bottom-up initiatives, and academic labour experiences
• Innovation for Societal Grand Challenges - aligning innovation with grand challenges like sustainability and social justice, mission-oriented organizational models, partnerships for co-creating solutions, and evaluating societal impact

Timeline

• January 21, 2026: Call for papers for Catalyst Essays and Original Articles
• March 2, 2026: Online information session and Q&A with Special Issue Guest Editors
• May 1, 2026: Deadline for Catalyst Essay proposals (maximum 2 pages)
• September 1, 2026: Deadline for full paper proposals for potential inclusion in the Paper Development Workshop (maximum 10 pages)
• November 1, 2026: Deadline for Catalyst Essay submissions (only accepted proposals)
• November 30, 2026: In-person paper development workshop at Cardiff Business School (optional)
• February 1, 2027: Deadline for full paper submissions (open to anyone)
• May 1, 2027: Final decision for Special Issue I (Catalyst Essays)
• May 1, 2028: Final decisions for Special Issue II (full papers)

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

Jyoti Choudrie, University of Hertfordshire

Sherah Kurnia, The University of Melbourne

Gabrielle Peko, University of Auckland

David Sundaram, University of Auckland

This special issue addresses the critical gap between technology adoption and actual value realization, focusing on how organizations and societies integrate, adapt, and leverage ICTs and AI beyond their initial implementation. While existing research emphasizes adoption decisions, there remains limited understanding of post-adoption dynamics, continued use, and the translation of technological investments into tangible organizational and societal benefits.

The issue welcomes research exploring post-adoption phenomena across individual, organizational, and societal levels, including technology assimilation, value creation, and transformation. It also addresses significant risks and ethical concerns arising from ICT and AI deployment, such as algorithmic bias, privacy threats, digital inequality, and unintended consequences that require scholarly attention.

Appel publié par Information Systems Frontiers. Voir l'appel sur le site de l'éditeur. Fiche de l'appel sur kerostig.

Potential topics

• Technology assimilation, routinization, and deep integration
• Post-adoption behaviors: continued use, discontinuance, and switching
• Value creation, capture, and measurement in ICT and AI use
• Cross-cultural and comparative post-adoption studies
• Changes to work practices, organizational structures, and decision-making
• ICT-enabled institutional and governance transformation
• Digital platforms, ecosystems, and network effects
• Public sector and societal impacts of sustained technology use
• Success and failure of digital transformation initiatives
• Algorithmic bias, transparency, and accountability
• Privacy, cybersecurity, and data governance challenges
• Overuse, misuse, and unintended consequences of ICTs and AI
• Environmental and societal externalities of digital technologies
• Regulation and governance of AI and digital technologies
• Organizational strategies for effective post-adoption management
• Public policy for sustainable and ethical technology use

Timeline

• July 15, 2026: Submission of abstract (up to 300 words)
• August 15, 2026: Notification of abstract acceptance
• December 4, 2026: Submission of full paper
• April 5, 2027: Notification of first-round reviews
• July 1, 2027: Revised manuscripts due
• October 29, 2027: Notification of second-round reviews
• November 30, 2027: Final versions due
• January 31, 2028: Expected final decision

Appel publié par International Business Review. Voir l'appel sur le site de l'éditeur. Fiche de l'appel sur kerostig.

Timeline

• September 30, 2026: Full paper submission deadline

Lorenzo Mizzau, University of Genoa

Leticia Labaronne, Zurich University of Applied Sciences

Katja Lindqvist, Lund University

Yeşim Tonga, IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca

Cultural organizations such as museums, theatres, and festivals are increasingly facing pressure to transform their management and governance structures due to volatile funding, digital technologies, and changing expectations of accountability. These organizations serve important public missions by producing and safeguarding cultural value, yet must now navigate new collaborative models, hybrid work arrangements, and AI-driven innovation while sustaining their societal role.

This special issue invites research exploring how cultural organizations can maintain their public commitment while adapting to organizational, sustainability, and technological transitions. Contributions should examine how managerial practices, governance frameworks, and organizational structures interact with public policy to help cultural institutions navigate these complex changes.

Appel publié par Public Money & Management. Voir l'appel sur le site de l'éditeur. Fiche de l'appel sur kerostig.

Potential topics

• Managerial and organizational design in cultural organizations
• Governance frameworks and coordination in cultural policy systems
• Digital transformation and artificial intelligence in cultural organizations
• Careers and work in cultural organizations
• Human resource management and leadership in cultural institutions
• Organizational learning and knowledge management
• Managing change and innovation in cultural organizations
• Evaluation, accountability, and performance management
• Public finance models and programs for culture
• Social, environmental and economic sustainability in cultural organizations

Timeline

• October 31, 2026: Manuscript deadline for research articles
• December 31, 2026: Manuscript deadline for debate and new development articles

Kieran Conboy, University of Galway

Sirkka L. Jarvenpaa, The University of Texas at Austin

Brian T. Pentland, Michigan State University

Efpraxia D. Zamani, Durham University

Digital technologies have fundamentally transformed how we experience time and temporality, influencing work, life, and identity through accelerated communication and constant connectivity. While temporality—encompassing speed, duration, sequencing, rhythm, and timing—is central to how information systems are designed and studied, IS research has largely treated it simplistically, focusing narrowly on clock-time, speed, and duration rather than engaging with its complex, multifaceted nature.

The field lacks cumulative theoretical development on time despite growing recognition of its importance. IS researchers quickly highlight technology's impact on organisational speed but are slow to address temporal complexity comprehensively. Time remains theoretically elusive, often excluded or treated as a hidden dimension in contemporary IS studies. This special issue seeks to advance theoretical understanding of how temporal dynamics influence IS phenomena across multiple scales, from micro-temporal moment-to-moment interactions to macro-temporal institutional transformations.

Appel publié par European Journal of Information Systems. Lire l'appel complet sur le site de l'éditeur. Fiche de l'appel sur kerostig.

Potential topics

• How digital interfaces, notifications, and data streams reconfigure everyday temporal experience, including attention, interruption, multitasking, and asynchronous collaboration
• How people make sense of their digital pasts through data archives or online traces, and how they anticipate algorithmic or digitally mediated futures
• How workflow systems, dashboards, collaboration platforms, enterprise analytics, and predictive tools recalibrate shared temporal expectations and influence coordination
• How temporal orientations embedded in tools or analytics shape decision processes, innovation, or strategic flexibility
• Temporal properties of digital artefacts including update cycles, data retention logics, algorithmic refresh rates, and security time horizons
• How data governance, privacy regimes, or AI systems handle conflicting temporal demands
• Why certain digital transformations accelerate rapidly while others evolve slowly and unevenly
• How digital standards, platforms, and protocols sediment, diffuse, or become institutionalised over time
• How temporal imaginaries, time horizons, or long-term digital trajectories shape fields, industries, and societies
• Theoretical and methodological discussions of time in IS research, including flows, sequences, rhythms, tempos, trajectories, paths, and path nets
• How IS research can theorise and design for extended temporal horizons to address grand challenges like climate change, pandemics, inequality, and social movements
• How temporal assumptions are embedded in IS through algorithmic schedules, design methods like agile and continuous development, and real-time vs. asynchronous communication
• How such temporal assumptions align or collide with individual or cultural constructions of time
• Methodological approaches for studying temporal complexity, including computational techniques and trace data analysis

Timeline

• November 1, 2026: Initial paper submission deadline
• February 1, 2027: First round authors notification
• April 15, 2027: Invited revisions deadline
• July 15, 2027: Second round authors notification
• September 30, 2027: Final revision deadline

Associate editors

• Jeremy Aroles, University of York
• Reza M. Baygi, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
• Catriona Burke, University of Limerick
• Omar El Sawy, University of Southern California
• Anne-Laure Fayard, NOVA School of Business and Economics
• Thomas Grisold, Vienna University of Economics and Business
• Amir Haj-Bolouri, University West
• Susan Hilbolling, Aarhus University
• Robin Holt, University of Bristol
• Astri Moksnes Barbala, SINTEF
• Rohit Nishant, Queen's University
• Mahya Ostovar, University of Galway
• Omid Omidvar, Warwick Business School
• Henri Pirkkalainen, Tampere University
• Frantz Rowe, University of Nantes
• Markus Salo, University of Jyväskylä
• Yingqin Zheng, University of Essex
• Aljona Zorina, NEOMA