The 2026 Conference of the Department of Human Resource Management & Employment Relations: Shaping the Future of Work
Bush House, Strand Campus, London
Introduction
How can organisations foster productive and inclusive workplaces, protect employee well-being, and create meaningful work in today’s fast-changing and uncertain landscape?
The Department of Human Resource Management & Employment Relations at King’s Business School invites researchers, practitioners, and business educators to join us in exploring this vital question. We are seeking cutting-edge research to better understand how workers, organisations, policymakers, and business educators can respond to current challenges and shape the future of work. We invite studies at all levels of analysis, from individual to organisational, and from local to global perspectives. Both academic research and practical insights are welcome, as we aim to spark a dialogue between scholars and practitioners on how organisations and policy makers can best navigate and shape the future of work.
Conference Schedule
| 9:00 | Registration and arrival refreshments |
| Welcome | |
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King's Business School - Life Changing Business Professor Stephen Bach. Dean, King's Business School |
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Keynote: Can remote working improve gender equality or will it exacerbate it? Professor Heejung Chung, Director, King's Global Institute for Women's Leadership, King's College London |
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Keynote: Flexible working, employer equality policies, and the role of government in improving disabled people’s employment outcomes Professor Kim Hoque, King's Business School, King's College London |
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Parallel sessions: 1. Managerial Insight Session for Practitioners: Return-to-Office: Policies, Practices, and Future Trends This session explores the evolving return-to-office landscape, blending academic insights and practitioner experiences. Panelists, consisting of academics and practitioners, will discuss policies, hybrid models, and future workplace trends, offering actionable strategies for creating flexible, productive work environments that balance organizational needs and employee expectations. Panel Lead: Professor Mike Clinton, King's Business School, King's College London 2. Academic Presentations |
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| Lunch and Poster Session | |
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Keynote: Ethnic Differences in Recruitment Outcomes: What Evidence Tells Us About Inclusive Hiring Dr Mladen Adamovic, King's Business School, King's College London |
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Parallel sessions: 1. Managerial Insight Session for Practitioners: Diversity and Inclusion in organizations: Shaping the Road Ahead Focusing on the role of organizations in driving diversity and inclusion, this session blends academic research and practical strategies. Panelists, consisting of academics and practitioners, will explore how organizations can foster inclusive environments, overcome challenges, and embed D&I into organizational culture. Panel Lead: Dr Alexandra Budjanovcanin, King's Business School, King's College London 2. Academic Presentations |
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Parallel sessions: 1. Managerial Insight Session for Practitioners: Meaning, Purpose, and Strategy: Shaping the Future of Meaningful Work This session explores how organizations can integrate meaning, purpose, and strategy to create a thriving workplace through meaningful work. Panelists, consisting of academics and practitioners, will share academic perspectives and real-world practices to align purpose-driven leadership with strategic goals, offering actionable insights for building engaged, high-performance teams in the future of work. Panel Lead: Professor Dana Minbaeva, King's Business School, King's College London 2. Academic Presentations |
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Keynote: GenAI and Work Alexia Cambon, Director, Innovation & Insights - Office of Applied Research, Microsoft |
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| 17:00 | Networking reception |
At this event
Professor in Management
Reader in Leadership
Reader in Organisational Behaviour and Human Resource Management
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