The Slovenian Academy of Management
is announcing its
2nd International Conference on Management and Organization
to be held on June 8–9, 2012
at the Congress Center Brdo pri Kranju, Slovenia
Conference theme: ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGES FOR DYNAMIC STABILITY
It is quite outmoded to start by saying that nowadays we are living in a time of change. If we believe that change is the only constant, then the following issue arises: whatever we discuss and think about is supposed to help us tackle change. However, it is not easy to deal and live with change. From the dawn of mankind we have proven that the best way to survive is to assure and maintain the (static) stability of our homes, groups, countries etc. How quickly can we learn that it is not stability but the management of constant change that leads to survival today and in the future? There have been changes – and growth and development – in the past, but they came at a very slow pace. From the perspective of a single generation it seemed as if nothing had changed.
Perhaps today we make the mistake of trying to persuade ourselves that everything is changing. It is true that we are facing big, revolutionary and constant changes in all spheres of our lives and that they all are interrelated. Social responsibility and ethics instead of profitability, the increasing role of stakeholders, the shifting role and importance of ownership, cooperation instead of (or at least hand in hand with) competition, the growing importance of knowledge, globalization, the unexpected development of information technology, unlocking the power of creativity and innovation are only a few examples of revolutionary changes. Changes always impact stability and appear as the opposite of stability. However, this is only true in the short run. Changes lead us through many levels of static instability to dynamic, long-run stability, to development and growth.
Do these changes have an impact on changes in social units like enterprises, banks, hospitals and others, and their organization? The answer is yes. Conversely, does the organization of social units contribute to such development, does it enable it and assure a rational changing process and the achievement of changes? Can we say that organizational changes make today’s development and that of the future easier, more successful and efficient?
This conference intends to discuss organizational changes. To better understand these changes, we must explain what we understand by organization. An organization is a system of dynamic relationships between members of a social unit which assures the existence, development and characteristics of a so formed social unit and the rational achievement of the social unit’s goals. The organization as so defined was discussed at the 1st international conference in 2010 put on by the Slovenian Academy of Management. According to the above definition, an organization consists of the following relationships or structures: technical, motivational, communicational, and power structures which develop into a managerial structure. It also consists of the organizational formal and informal organizational processes that change and develop the structures. The most elaborate formal processes are the governance-management process which assures the rational achievement of a social unit’s goals by business planning and controlling and by planning, actuating and controlling the organization. The governing-management process also includes coordination as its content, and the decision-making process as its method.
We can even argue that today’s big changes are happening within the organization so defined. In the past, the macro concept (e.g. the national economy) was being maximized. After that, our attention was focused on the micro concept (e.g. optimizing the enterprise). These days, we are – above all – trying to optimize the relationships among people. For this reason, the organization lies at the very heart of change.
Four main streams of discussion are proposed: changes to the socioeconomic system and their influence on the organization, especially corporate governance; long-term organizational changes, which are similar in most organizations; short-term organizational changes; and the change process itself. We warmly invite abstracts and paper submissions that discuss organizational change and change processes.
1. The organization as defined depends to some extent on the socioeconomic system. Accordingly, organization in most social units within the socioeconomic system is changing in the same direction. If the socioeconomic system is changing the organization – not in detail – in turn, it is also changing. The corporate governance system is most closely connected to the socioeconomic system. The socioeconomic system directs enterprises and other social units, and by following the system these social units maintain it. The first group of questions to be discussed at the conference is thus connected to corporate governance and its organization relative to the socioeconomic system, including changes in the goals and ownership of enterprises (and other social units).
Corporate governance is conducted either by owners or their trustees and based on ownership to realize the interest of the owners. However, nowadays many corporate governance characteristics have been called into question. Ownership of the means of production is becoming less important, whereas ownership of knowledge is becoming more important. Instead of governance by shareholders, we talk more frequently of governance by stakeholders. Instead (or in addition to) of profitability, we discuss corporate social responsibility and value added. These might all be signs of huge changes, of a transitional period on our way to a new society. Greater cooperation instead of competition, trust instead of mistrust, altruism instead of egoism, motivation to achieve higher level goals, knowledge instead of just experience, a focus on customers’ needs instead of products etc.
Papers on the following issues are invited, but not limited to:
– How are changes in the socioeconomic system influencing corporate governance, management, and organization?
– What will be their content and characteristics in the future? What is the “next stage” of the socioeconomic system we are aiming at? What are the ways to get there?
– What are the main problems and required changes in corporate governance today? What can we expect in the future?
– How can enterprises be governed by stakeholders? Is it through the process of social discussion and agreements between stakeholders?
– The role of the missions, visions and goals of different stakeholders.
– The role of performance measurement systems in corporate governance and management.
– Corporate governance and management directed at social responsibility instead of profitability.
– The role of ethics in corporate governance and management of enterprises and other formal social units.
– Do we need ethical and/or knowledgeable corporate governance? Is knowledge a precondition for ethics?
– The stewardship model of corporate governance as opposed to principal-agent theory.
– The characteristics, advantages and disadvantages of different corporate governance systems.
2. The described changes connect the socioeconomic system and its development with changes within the organization. For this reason, mainly the organizational aspects of corporate governance and related issues will be discussed. Closely connected to the above and other changes are long-term organizational changes to managerial structures and processes. Some examples of these changes which are worthy of discussion are:
– redesigning from vertical to horizontal or team (process) structures;
– the development of networks: strategic alliances, clusters, supply chains etc.;
– the development of strategic thinking;
– the development of program and portfolio management (of projects);
– the development of technologies and the impact on technology management and general management;
– reengineering and organizational restructuring processes;
– changes in management, managerial functions and especially in leadership (HRM, leadership, motivation, communication etc.);
– cultural changes connected to globalization and other changes;
– the increasing role of coordination and conflicts; and
– specialization in different areas of management: crisis management, project and program management, quality management, environment management, knowledge management, performance management etc.
Papers discussing these and other changes are particularly welcome.
3. If the mentioned long-term organizational changes still – at least to some degree – depend on the socioeconomic system, we can say that short-term organizational changes are not guided by socioeconomic changes and development. The most formal short-term organizational changes appear in a period of a few years. These are minor changes conducted in the areas of organizational structures and processes. Some examples pointing to possible areas of discussion are:
– organizational restructuring of uniform structures and processes, e.g. technical, motivational, power, communication structures, and corresponding processes;
– changes in the managerial structure at the level of individual employees’ positions, at the department/team level, and at the level of the company or other organizations (e.g. organizational forms);
– changes in organizational processes: corporate governance, management, coordination, decision-making;
– the development of organizational structures; and
– changes in information-decision systems.
Especially papers presenting actual cases of enterprises and other social units will be of great interest.
4. We have so far spoken of the content of organizational changes. The emphasis was on the expected state of the organization or its parts. However, the process of changing from the present situation to the expected one will probably also be included in the content of (but not discussed separately from) change. Yet equally important as the content of changes are the ways organizational changes are realized. Therefore, a discussion of the following and similar issues may be very important, desirable and useful:
– the change process – formal and informal;
– conflicts as the basis and motivator of changes;
– conflicts and the coordination process;
– the removal of obstacles to change;
– support for change and how to encourage the acceptance of changes;
– the learning process, especially with regard to organization;
– how to coordinate different changes;
– changes in management development, education and training;
– organizational learning as a way of changing;
– risk management connected to changes;
– creativity and innovation processes; and
– different schools in understanding organization and its changes etc.
Papers and discussions will not only be limited to these issues. Theoretical and empirical papers as well as practical cases are all welcome. We will suggest that quality papers be published in either our international “Dynamic Relationships Management Journal” or in the Slovenian “Challenges to Management” journal.
3. Submission of abstracts and other important deadlines
If the theme and sub-themes have drawn your attention and you decide to participate, you should first submit an abstract. The abstract should not exceed 500 words and should include the names and affiliations of the author(s). It should explain the problem, the purpose and goals of the paper, the approach taken and the main contribution it makes. Abstracts may be submitted as a .pdf file, a .doc file or a .docx file. The number of submissions is limited to one individual paper, one individual and one co-authored paper or two co-authored papers.
Abstracts should be submitted via the Internet. The process of submitting abstracts involves the following:
-open the website: https://sam-d.si/;
-select the English version;
-look for the 2nd international management and organization conference; and
-start the submission of the abstract.
When submitting an abstract you are asked to follow the described process. In the case of co-authors, the data are only required for the main author (or one of the authors). However, in the abstract all co-authors should be included (their names, titles, institutions, e-mail addresses). When you have successfully submitted your abstract you will receive an immediate confirmation. In the case of any problems, please contact tomaz.hovelja@fri.uni-lj.si.
After the abstracts have been received, two experts will review them and, on the basis of their opinions, the authors will be informed about the abstract’s acceptance/rejection. Guidelines to prepare the papers and other information will then be given to the authors of accepted abstracts.
The submission of abstracts starts on November 7, 2011. The deadline for submitting abstracts is December 19, 2011. You will be informed about the acceptance of your abstract/paper by January 11, 2012.
– Formal announcement of the conference and call for papers: October 2011.
– Submission of abstracts: from November 7 to December 19, 2011.
– Acceptance/rejection of abstracts: January 11, 2012.
– Submission of papers: April 25, 2011.
– Notification of acceptance of papers: May 4, 2012.
– Registration: May–June 2012.
– Conference: 8–9 June 2012.
Venue: The conference will be held at the Congress center Brdo, Brdo pri Kranju, Slovenia. It is located near Ljubljana airport and is about 30 km from Ljubljana. The congress center is located in an area surrounded by woods and parkland. It is also the venue for protocol events of the Government of Slovenia. The Presidency of the European Union that was held by Slovenia for six months had its headquarters at Brdo. Many important state leaders, e.g. Presidents Bush, Clinton, Putin and others, have been hosted there. The congress center offers all facilities needed for the conference as demonstrated by the many successful congresses and conferences that have been held there. Hotel Kokra offers very comfortable accommodation and is located very close to the center.
Registration fee: EUR 230 (including a gala dinner) for authors and members of the Slovenian Academy of Management, and EUR 270 for non-members.
– Sightseeing of the Brdo area (included in the registration fee);
– A gala dinner (included in the registration fee for participants; for accompanying persons EUR 40); and
– Sightseeing of Ljubljana and/or Bled (optional, not covered by the fee).
Jon Aarum Andersen, Lillehammer University College, Lillehammer, Norway; Cene Bavec, University of Primorska, Faculty of Management, Koper, Slovenia; Mihaly Gorog, Corvinus University of Budapest, Budapest, Hungary; Tomaz Hovelja, University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Computer and Information Science, Ljubljana, Slovenia; Jure Kovač, University of Maribor, Faculty for Organization Sciences, Kranj, Slovenia; Miran Mihelčič, University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Computer and Information Science, Ljubljana, Slovenia; Adriana Rejc Buhovac, University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Economics, Ljubljana, Slovenia; Rudi Rozman (Chairman), University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Economics, Ljubljana, Slovenia; Borut Rusjan, University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Economics; Ljubljana, Slovenia; Milena Sedovnik, Autocommerce, Ljubljana, Slovenia; Aljaz Stare, University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Economics, Ljubljana, Slovenia; Peter Stokes, Chester Business School, University of Chester, UK.
The Conference Program Committee
