10990: Multispecies Inclusivity and Animals in Organizing

Sunday, July 27, 2025

10:30 - 12:00 CEST (GMT+2)

Location: Bella Center: Hall A- A1-m1

Session Type: PDW (workshop)
Orientation: Research
Shareable link: https://cdmcd.co/qdkDXQ

Session Chair(s)

LT

Linda Tallberg

University of Lapland, Finland

Panelist(s)

SB

Steffen Boehm

U. of Exeter Business School, United Kingdom
AH

Astrid Huopalainen

Aalto U. School of Business, Finland
DS

Doris Schneeberger

Vienna University of Economics and Business, Austria
JG

José-Carlos Garcia-Rosell

University of Oulu

Facilitator(s)

EJ

Eline Jammaers

Hasselt U., Belgium
HW

Helen Wadham

Manchester Metropolitan U. Business School, United Kingdom
MS

Marjo Elisa Siltaoja

U. of Jyväskylä, Finland
KD

Kate Dashper

Leeds Beckett U.

Acknowledging that organizations exist within a multispecies world is crucial for advancing sustainability and responding to the current socio-ecological crisis. Multispecies inclusivity involves adopting perspectives that recognize the intrinsic value, standpoint, and interests of nonhuman life. This PDW features an expert panel and roundtable that discusses the inclusivity of nonhuman animals in management and organizational research bringing together scholars interested in the 'animal turn'. Recognizing the limitations of traditional theories in addressing this inclusivity, we aim to explore new avenues for advancing multispecies perspectives to organizing. The first part of the PDW seeks to raise awareness of power structures that marginalise animals, while reimagining alternatives that promote flourishing and justice for more-than-human beings. It aims to expand debates, theories, and practices regarding animals through a critical lens. The second part features facilitated roundtable discussions, designed to foster a collaborative community and encourage joint scholarly efforts in this emerging field. Outputs include a Special Issue in the Journal of Business Ethics on the topic. Key questions of the workshop include: What does it mean to be critical for the emerging field of Animal Organization Studies (AOS) given its goal of promoting ethical and inclusive multispecies research? How can we critically rethink human-centered organizational theories and research to include other species? What are the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats facing AOS and multispecies inclusivity? How can we problematize existing debates on animal agriculture and human-animal work, while addressing questions of multispecies inclusivity, interspecies solidarity, care ethics, stakeholdership, and equality?