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The International Human Resource Management (IHRM) Conference is one of the most prestigious academic gatherings for like-minded HRM scholars, at all carer stages, to come together to share the latest research and thinking.

Conference Overview

The 18th Conference on International Human Resource Management invites submissions that deepen and broaden our understanding of how IHRM can respond to, shape, and thrive within an era increasingly characterised by global polycrisis. This polycrisis, marked by interconnected geopolitical, economic, demographic, technological, and socio‑political disruptions, has intensified volatility and reshaped the global landscape of work. From climate change and pandemics to digital transformation, demographic shifts, and geopolitical instability, these forces are redefining organisational priorities, employment relationships, and HRM systems across borders. Many of these challenges intersect with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, underscoring the critical role of IHRM in fostering sustainable, ethical, and resilient organisational practices.

The 2027 conference will convene scholars, researchers and stakeholders to explore how IHRM must evolve to remain relevant, responsible, and impactful in this complex environment.

Navigating International Human Resource Management in a Polycrisis Era

The past decade has been defined by unprecedented turbulence. A rapidly evolving VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous) world has ushered in what scholars describe as a global polycrisis, defined as a convergence of interconnected geopolitical, economic, demographic, and socio‑political disruptions that amplify one another (Wood et al., 2024; Zeitlin et al., 2019). From climate change and global pandemics to technological transformation and societal instability, these forces are reshaping organisations, employment, and work relationships on a global scale (Lazarova et al., 2023). Many of these challenges align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (United Nations Development Program, 2024), highlighting the critical role of organisations and IHRM in developing solutions. As Baumann et al. (2023, p.166) argue, organisations must increasingly operate as “problem‑solving systems” capable of collective action.

At the organisational level, digital technologies and artificial intelligence (Ahlstrom et al., 2020), the rise of the gig economy (Mendonça & Kougiannou, 2025), and new models of remote and hybrid work (Grant et al., 2023) are transforming how work is designed and managed. Simultaneously, global threats, e.g., ranging from terrorism and regional conflict to cyber‑attacks and workplace violence demand HRM systems that are resilient, agile, and future‑focused. These pressures are prompting a fundamental re‑evaluation of long‑held assumptions about work and the role of IHRM in a polycrisis era.

While some scholars view recent disruptions, including COVID‑19, as catalysts for innovation in HRM (Newman et al., 2023), others caution that emerging practices may reinforce neoliberal logics that risk undermining societal and environmental wellbeing (Boumans, 2022; Guest & Grote, 2022). This raises urgent questions about how IHRM can better support broader stakeholder value and sustainable employee outcomes. As a result, interest is growing in approaches such as wellbeing HRM, agile and ethical HRM, and responsible, sustainable, and common‑good HRM.

Such questions and challenges require IHRM to rethink long‑standing assumptions about global work, talent, and organisational responsibility. Key forces shaping IHRM in the polycrisis era include:

  • Digital technologies, artificial intelligence, and algorithmic management
  • The expansion of the gig economy and alternative employment models
  • Remote, hybrid, and digitally mediated work
  • Global threats such as terrorism, cyberattacks, regional conflict, and workplace violence
  • Societal demands for ethical, sustainable, and inclusive HRM
  • Tensions between innovation and the reinforcement of neoliberal logics
  • Growing interest in wellbeing, ethical, and sustainable HRM, and common‑good HRM

Conference Streams

The Conference will bring together scholars and stakeholders to explore how IHRM must evolve and navigate the complex polycrisis landscape to remain relevant and impactful. Streams will span macro‑societal, meso‑organisational, and micro‑individual (employee) levels and we welcome submissions that critically examine these dynamics and offer new theoretical, empirical, methodological, or practice‑oriented insights. Submissions may address any aspect of IHRM, however formal streams include:

  • Global Polycrisis and IHRM - Geopolitical instability, climate change, demographic shifts, global governance
  • Digital Transformation and AI in IHRM - Automation, algorithmic HRM, data ethics, digital skills
  • Sustainable and Responsible HRM - SDGs, common-good HRM, environmental and social sustainability
  • Global Talent Management - Mobility, expatriation, virtual assignments, global leadership
  • Workforce Wellbeing and Resilience - Mental health, burnout, trauma‑informed HRM
  • New Work Models - Hybrid work, gig platforms, flexible work design
  • Ethical and Inclusive IHRM - DEI, human rights, fair work, anti‑discrimination
  • Crisis‑Ready HRM Systems - Preparedness, agility, organisational continuity
  • Comparative, Inter-cultural, and Cross‑Cultural HRM – institutional contexts, cultural dynamics, global HRM variations
  • Methodological Innovations in IHRM Research - Multilevel designs, cross‑national data, qualitative and digital methods

Submission Types

We welcome a wide range of scholarly contributions:

  • Extended Abstracts or Working Papers – early‑stage or in‑progress research
  • Full Papers – completed research suitable for competitive sessions
  • Symposia – thematic panels integrating multiple papers
  • Workshops – innovative methodologies or paper development

Timeline 

See Key Dates 

Submit your Paper

Please click here to submit your paper.

Submission Guidelines

Authors are invited to submit an extended abstract of no more than 2,000 words by 22 January 2027. (The submission portal will be open from 1 October 2026).

All abstracts will be double-blind reviewed hence authors should not be identified within the text. If the abstract is accepted for the conference, the authors will have the opportunity to revise their abstract and/or upload a full paper based on reviewer feedback. Extended abstracts should adhere to the following structure:

  • Title, and Keywords (3-5)
  • Purpose/Context/Research Problem
  • Methodology/Approach
  • Findings
  • Theoretical Implications
  • Practical Implications (if applicable)
  • Originality/Value
  • List of References

Please note the following formatting details:

File Naming: Files must contain the surname of the submitting author, the abstract’s title (up to first five words), and the date of submission.

  • Example: #Author_document_title_day_month_year’
  • Margins: Normal
  • Font Type and Size: Times New Roman, 12 pt
  • Line-spacing: 1.5
  • File Format: PDF is preferred
  • References: Please follow APA system

*Please note that by submitting your abstract for peer review, you should be prepared to review another.

Contact

For enquiries, please contact the organising committee at IHRM2027@napier.ac.uk.

References

Ahlstrom, D., Arregle, J. L., Hitt, M. A., Qian, G., Ma, X. and Faems, D. (2020). Managing technological, sociopolitical, and institutional change in the new normal. Journal of Management Studies, 57, 411–37.

Baumann, O., Davis, G. F., Kunisch, S., Luo, J. and Wu, B. (2023). Organizing for good – using organization design to take on grand challenges. Journal of Organization Design, 12, 165-176.

Boumans, S. (2022). Neoliberalisation of industrial relations: The ideational development of Dutch employers’ organisations between 1976 and 2019. Economic and Industrial Democracy, 43(4), 1610-1631.

Grant, K., McQueen, F., Osborn, S. and Holland, P. (2023). Re-configuring the jigsaw puzzle: Balancing time, place, pace and space of work in the Covid-19 era. Economic and Industrial Democracy, 45(3), 794-815.

Guest, D., and Grote, G. (2018). Captured by neo-liberalism: What hope for WOP? Commentary on Bal, P. M. and Doci, E. (2018). Neoliberal ideology in work and organizational psychology. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 27(5), 554-555.

Lazarova, M., Caligiuri, P., Collings, D. G. and De Cieri, H. (2023). Global work in a rapidly changing world: implications for MNEs and individuals. Journal of World Business, 58(1), [101365].

Lazarova, M., Caligiuri, P., Collings, D. G. and De Cieri, H. (2023). Global work in a rapidly changing world: implications for MNEs and individuals. Journal of World Business, 58(1), [101365].

Mendonça, P. and Kougiannou, N. K. (2025). ‘We are not all the same’: The capacity of different groups of food delivery gig workers to build collective and individual power resources. Work, Employment and Society, 39(2), 311-335.

Newman, A., Ferrer, J., Andersen, M. and Zhang, Y. (2023). Human resource management in times of crisis. What have we learnt from the recent pandemic? The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 34(15), 2857-2875.

United Nations Development Program. (2026). The SDGs in Action. https://www.undp.org/africa/waca/sdgs-action.

Wood, G., Cooke, F. L., Brou, D., Wang, J. and Ghauri, P. (2024). Rethinking contexts and institutions for research on human resource management in multinational enterprises in an age of polycrisis: reflections and suggestions. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 35(19), 3173–3206.

Zeitlin, J., Nicoli, F. and Laffan, B. (2019). Introduction: The European Union beyond the polycrisis? Integration and politicization in an age of shifting cleavages. Journal of European Public Policy, 26(7), 963–976.