Theme of the call for papers
The theme of the call is ‘Learning from Each Other: Critical and Constructive Dialogues on Business, Sustainability, and Diversity’.
As human society grapples with climate change, biodiversity loss, and human rights violations, the role of business is at a crossroads. This conference invites scholars to explore how diverse academic perspectives can drive sustainable practices in business and society.
Traditional corporate models of profit maximization face growing scrutiny as the urgency for social and environmental accountability intensifies. There is growing recognition that integrating ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) practices is essential for shaping sustainable futures. Yet, shareholder primacy and economic value maximization remain dominant in business activities and institutional settings. It is therefore crucial to investigate what tools, strategies, and reforms can develop and support an economic agenda for organizations and institutions to facilitate transformative action in line with sustainability and transparency that aligns the decisions of the present generation with the needs and interests of future generations.
Feminist perspectives offer a powerful lens for addressing these challenges and identifying appropriate tools for action. By exposing economic inequalities, such as the undervaluation of care work and the gendered division of labor, feminist approaches advocate for redistributive policies that center care, equality, and environmental responsibility that consider long time horizons. These insights align closely with the goals of sustainable development and provide a foundation for reimagining business and society.
We invite contributions that engage with these themes, offering new approaches and ideas to reframe economic agendas and foster collaboration for sustainable and equitable futures.
The above perspectives set the foundation for our exploration of ‘Learning from Each Other: Critical and Constructive Dialogues on Business, Sustainability, and Diversity’. The call aims to engage business scholars to discuss new ways to envision a sustainable and equitable future, using interdisciplinary business approaches and considering the impacts of decolonisation as well as the intersections of gender, diversity, and economic inequality.
Submission Guidelines and Procedure
We invite current and prospective new members from around the world and from various disciplines (and working across disciplines) to submit proposals for papers within or across relevant themes, which are listed below:
- Sustainability, innovation, and diversity in business: fostering transformation through gender
- Teaching and interdisciplinary research for sustainable business: building dialogue among multiple epistemic standpoints
- Discrimination as a multidimensional phenomenon and the challenges to an intersectional approach of law and institutions
- Diversity, business, and sustainability: the impact of business in creating equitable, integrative, and conscious global governance
- Global structures of inequality and discriminatory phenomena: using decolonial lenses to envision critical change in business
- Economic governance in business and discrimination against women in the Global South: exploring alternatives beyond gender mainstreaming
The title of your paper and an abstract of no more than 500 words should be submitted via this online form by 13 April 2025. Successful participants will be notified by 30 May 2025.
Authors may submit only one abstract. This ensures broader participation while allowing for diverse contributions. Co-authored papers are allowed, and in the case of collective authorship, the author may still present an additional individual abstract.
Short working papers of a maximum of 2,500 words, including footnotes, will be due by 30 September 2025. The word limit for the short working papers is chosen to enable all participants to read all papers in preparation for the Conference, and to give space for developing the themes of the individual papers after the Conference, based on the comments and discussion. The limit for the full-length papers will be communicated at a later stage. A joint publication of selected conference papers is envisaged.
Evaluation of Submissions
The Organizing Committee will evaluate the submitted abstracts and deliberate on their approval based on originality, technical or research depth, accuracy, and relevance to the conference themes.
Discussion of Papers
Selected papers will be distributed in different sessions in the conference programme, based on the themes to which they refer, respecting the maximum limit of three papers per session. Papers will be presented by the authors, allowing them to engage with peers and experts. Each paper will be followed by a collaborative discussion to explore ideas, gather feedback, and foster interdisciplinary dialogue related to the themes of the conference.
Practical information
- Location: Faculty of Law, University of São Paulo (São Paulo, Brazil) with optional networking trip to Paraty (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
- Deadline for the submission of the abstract through this online form: 13 April 2025 (earlier submission is encouraged)
- Notification to successful participants: by 30 May 2025
- Submission of short working papers: 30 September 2025 (earlier submission is encouraged)
- Conference dates and presentation of the selected working papers: 12-13 November 2025. See the event website or more information about the conference and the additional programme 13-16 November 2025 for members of Daughters of Themis.
Funding
Daughters of Themis and the Centre for Inclusion in Academia of the University of São Paulo (GPEIA-USP) intend to fund food for speakers during the conference events. Unfortunately, there is no funding to offer financial assistance to speakers, who will have to cover their own travel and accommodation.
Organising committee
The organising committee is composed of the directors of the Centre for Inclusion in Academia (GPEIA), Cecilia Barreto, Isabelle Oglouyan de Campos, Lívia Gil Guimarães, and Sheila Christina Neder Cerezetti, along with its dedicated research team, Barbara Nicole Lima Orihuela, Gabriela Biazi, Isabela Moreira and Luana Lauriano Nastri. Together, they are committed to creating a vibrant and inclusive environment for all participants. For more information about the conference, please contact daughtersofthemis.conf2025@gmail.com