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 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.

Call for Papers

Themes & Topics:

We welcome submissions addressing, but not limited to, the following key topics:

• Special Focus on the Future of Work
  Exploring how flexible work arrangements and emerging technologies (e.g., AI, automation, digitalisation) are transforming employment practices, work behaviours, and career development. We also invite reflections on the role of business education in preparing future professionals for these shifts.

• Work Design & Meaningful Work
  Examining how organizations can design work that is both engaging and meaningful for employees, while addressing the challenges and opportunities of meaningful work in contemporary workplaces.
• Workplace Inclusion & Social Inequalities
  Exploring strategies at various levels (e.g., national policies, organisational practices, or managerial approaches) for promoting inclusion in the workplace and addressing social inequalities.
• Leadership in Hybrid & Virtual Work Environments
  Investigating how leadership practices and styles are evolving in remote and hybrid settings, and their impact on employee engagement, productivity, and team dynamics.
• Personnel Assessment & Talent Management
  Exploring the future of talent management, including innovative methods for recruitment, performance evaluation, and career progression in an increasingly digital and flexible workforce.
• Career Development, Employee Health, & Well-being
  Research on supporting employee career development, health and well-being, and in a world of continuous change, focusing on the role of national polices, organizational or managerial practices in creating supportive environments for growth and balance.

Key Dates:

• Submission Deadline: 15th January 2026 (for presenters)
• Acceptance Notification: Early February 2026 (for presenters)
• Registration Opens: February 2026 (for those who would like to attend)
• Conference Date: 6th May 2026

Submission Guidelines:
Please submit an extended abstract of up to 1,000 words, including:

• Title
• Authors’ information (name, affiliation and email address)
• A structured abstract including following sessions:

1. Purpose

2. Design/methodology/approach

3. Findings

4. Originality/Contributions

5. Practical implications

We look forward to receiving your submissions and engaging in thought-provoking discussions on how we can better shape the future of work.

Download the Call for Papers PDF here.

Submissions Portal