EURAM - European Academy of Management

 

With the proposed theme “Circuits of knowledge” we hope the conference contributions may be inspired to further develop the organizational learning, knowledge and innovation literature through conceptual and empirical contributions. The metaphor is meant to open up explorations of how knowledge and organizational learning may be said to move or revolve around in and through circuits. Familiar concepts may be learning cycles and –loops, and the recursiveness of practice.

 

Circuits of knowledge means accounting for past, present and the future. For instance, to understand learning, knowledge and innovation means accounting for power and politics (Mørk et al., 2010; Swan, 2005 and Scarbrough), as knowledge involves survival, control and authority among colleagues in the organization (Schneider, 2007) where power becomes an active, resistive or reactive force, largely internalized in how colleagues interact and get access (or not) to each other (Fox, 2000). By addressing circuits of knowledge, we believe that the organizational learning and knowledge literature will meet requirements of unfolding and integrating fruitful concepts for further theoretical and empirical contributions. For instance that the literature is accused of ignoring that change or innovation cannot be achieved without political struggles and relations invested in power, and that the literature today resides on organizational learning and knowledge being to harmonic and “good for all” (Anatonacopoulou, 2006; Easterby-Smith et al., 2008; Foucault, 1997; Fox, 2000 Lawrence et al., 2005).

 

Studying knowledge, learning and innovation from a perspective of circuits can also draw attention to many important aspects of our connectivity and electronically mediated knowledge processes: for example our continuous online presence through smart phones, facebook and social media, and how this affect inter alia learning styles, education systems and business models. Short circuit TV can be a symbol of of the surveillance society and the increasing information capture both by public and private actors. The increasing codification of data raises privacy concerns, and is a the same time the major currency of post dot.com ICT companies. Circuits of knowledge can also allude to collaboration through virtual conduits both within and across firms as well as innovative practices of co-production of services with end customers. Finally, circuits of knowledge also points to innovation potential and potential disruption of electronic conduits on how education is delivered.

 

CALL FOR PAPERS https://www.conftool.net/olkc2014/

Please submit an extended abstract (1800 words excluding references) by November 1, 2013. Acceptance notification will be sent by January 15, 2013. Full papers (5,000-7,000 words) will be due by March 14, 2014. Authors' names and other identifying information should not appear in the abstract.