International Studying Leadership Conference in December '14

The 13th International Studying Leadership Conference (ISLC)

invites proposals for paper presentations related to the general theme,

Relevance and Rigour in Leadership Research and Practice.

We intend for this theme to generate a broad range of presentations, discussions and exchanges related to the study and practice of leadership and leadership development.

Conventional wisdom 

often associates rigour with research and relevance with practice. Just such a distinction has informed scholarly debates about the “relevance-rigour gap” in organization and leadership studies (Tushman et al, 2007). Some maintain that the quest for scientific rigour can reduce the practical relevance of leadership research. Others would argue that this is a false dichotomy, pointing out for example that only rigorous leadership theories can grapple with the complexity of contemporary organizations (Uhl-Bien et al, 2007). Kempster and Parry (2011) propose that grounded theory can bridge the relevance-rigour gap by placing emphasis on the contextual understanding of the social processes of leadership and leadership development. We look forward to proposals that will carry these kinds of productive conversations further.

We also invite proposals

that critically question the automatic association of relevance with practice, or that critique the presumed universality of certain kinds of leadership practices by asking the simple question, “relevant to whom?” Practices recognized as relevant in large corporations, for example, may seem positively irrelevant in other, equally important contexts. And approaches to leadership based on circumscribed sets of data—for example, North American survey respondents, undergraduates in a laboratory setting, or business practitioners—may have little relevance to the practice of leadership in other kinds of organizations in different parts of the world, in the arts, in politics, or in a variety non-business-related sectors. We therefore also encourage proposals that explore the relevance of leadership research and practice in often-overlooked organizational, cultural, ethnic, gendered and postcolonial contexts.

We further intend for our theme

to raise searching questions about just what counts as rigour in leadership research in the first place. We encourage proposals that query, for example, conventional research methodologies and the epistemological assumptions behind them, or that respond to the call for more qualitative, ethnographic, or critical studies of how leadership takes place in local contexts. We invite discussions about the interplay between dominant and marginal approaches to leadership research in different cultural and institutional settings, such as in Europe as opposed to North America, or in different academic disciplines or journals. And we remain open to proposals that build on critical theory to explore how concepts like “relevance,” “rigour,” “science,” or even “leadership” itself can function as ideologically motivated forms of power and exclusion.

We will make ample room in the program

for traditional research paper presentations, recognizing fully that many academic institutions require them as prerequisites for conference funding. At the same time, we intend to loosen up the rigidity of conventional conference formats in order to encourage as much intellectual dialogue, debate, and exchange as possible. In this manner we hope to spark a number of rigorous and relevant discussions and debates about the dynamics of leadership research and practice.

For more information and registration, please visit the website: http://www.islc2014.cbs.dk

We hope to see you in Copenhagen!

Proposing Papers:

Please send extended abstracts (approximately 1000-1500 words) attached as a .doc or .docx file to islc-proposals@cbs.dk by September 1, 2014. We will also consider proposals for full panel sessions- in this case please include a brief panel description along with three paper abstracts.

References:

• Kempster, S., & Parry, K. W. 2011. Grounded theory and leadership research: A critical realist perspective. The Leadership Quarterly, 22(1): 106–120.
• Tushman, M. L., Fenollosa, A., McGrath, D. N., O’Reilly, C., & Kleinbaum, A. M. 2007. Relevance and Rigor: Executive Education as a Lever in Shaping Practice and Research. Academy of Management Learning & Education, 6(3): 345–362.
• Uhl-Bien, M., Marion, R., & McKelvey, B. 2007. Complexity Leadership Theory: Shifting leadership from the industrial age to the knowledge era. The Leadership Quarterly, 18(4): 298–318.