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Call for Papers

Gender, Work and Organization
Special Sub Theme: Gender and the Public Sector
Convenors: Jim Barry and Elisabeth Berg

3rd international interdisciplinary conference
Keele University 25th-27th June 2003

This sub theme is concerned with recent developments in the public sector
as they affect gender, work and organization. Submissions are invited on
any aspect of the developments which include, but are not restricted to,
the following themes.

Commentators have sensed considerable change occurring in a number of
public sectors worldwide in recent years, in the wake of economic
restructuring and political realignment. In the face of what has been
considered by some as self-serving professionalism, bureaucratic inertia
and political/administrative impropriety, attempts have been made to
refashion organizational arrangements for the allocation and delivery of
public services. In acknowledging new modes of social and political
interaction, a number of authors have pointed to the growing significance
of non-traditional, flexible, loosely connected networks, and the
importance of governance. Yet little of this has found its way into
discussions of gender, work and organization. There has also been little
consideration given to the part played by civil society and those who are
out-with recognised institutions. In this, social movements have not only
influenced organizational processes, calling into question the work/life
balance and the significance of organizational boundaries, but also drawn
attention to the complex interplay of identities continually
(re)negotiated and forever in flux.

Commentators have also drawn attention to the rise of what has come to be
called the New Public Management or NPM seen, in some circles, as having
played a pivotal role in the recent management of change in public sectors
around the world. Prognostications attending the managerial turn have even
been sensed as a new historicism, in the tradition of Burnham's
managerialism, Kerr et al's industrialism, Fukuyama's political liberalism
and even, in neo-institutionalist terms, DiMaggio and Powell's
organisational isomorphism. Yet recent research, from a number of
countries, has identified shortcomings in the likes of performance
management and managerial evangelism, with some acknowledgement of the
importance of local and regional as well as national factors at work. This
suggests the need for critical post-NPM analysis and a questioning of the
NPM abstraction itself. At the same time there is little on the
significance of resistance, both formally (through Trade Unionism) and
informally (through networks and individual action), or of gender identity
in all this and the part it plays in propagating and/or mediating the new
regulation.

This sub theme focuses on developments such as these as they affect public
sectors worldwide. Because of this both cross-cultural and single
country/sector submissions are invited. The following are suggested as
potential sub-sub themes, which might help create a focus for a (possible)
special issue of Gender, Work and Organization:

Gender and Governance: Networks, Movement and Change in the Public Sector

Gender and the Fictions, Frictions and Fortunes of the NPM

It is nonetheless anticipated that a range of topics will be addressed,
including ethics, diversity, race and ethnicity. Submissions are
accordingly welcome on any aspect of gender, work and organization in the
public sector.

Venue - the Conference will be held at Keele University, Staffordshire, in
central England, 25th - 27th June 2003. The campus site has good road and
rail access and is well served by Manchester and Birmingham airports for
international travellers. There is on campus accommodation for up to
100,000 visitors per year in day and residential conferences.

Abstracts of approximately 750 words (excluding any references) are
invited by 31 January 2003. Prospective contributions will be
independently refereed. New and young scholars with 'work in progress'
papers are welcome. Please POST hard copies of your abstract to Jane Pope
and Jim Barry, addresses shown below. Abstracts should include FULL
contact details, including your name, institutional affiliation, postal
address, telephone number and e-mail address.

Conference Organizers: 		Dr Christina Hughes, University of Warwick
				Dr Deborah Kerfoot, Keele University

Conference Advisory Board: 	Dr Ardha Danieli, University of Warwick
				Professor David Knights, Keele University
				Professor Patricia Martin, Florida State
				University

Theme Conveners:		Dr Jim Barry, Reader, University of East
				London, UK and
				Dr Elisabeth Berg, Docent, Luleå University,
				Sweden

Conference Administrator: 	Jane Pope

Address for Correspondence:
Jane Pope			E-mail: mna24 at keele.ac.uk
Gender, Work and Organization	Phone: + 44 (0) 1782 584 281
Keele University			Fax: +44 (0) 1782 5844272
Staffordshire ST5 5BG
England

Please  also send a copy of the abstract to:
Jim Barry				E-mail: j.j.barry at uel.ac.uk
Organisation Studies Research Group	Phone: +44(0) 20 82232207
ELBS					Fax: +44(0) 20 82232899
University of East London
Longbridge Road
Dagenham
Essex RM8 2AS

WATCH OUR WEBSITE FOR FURTHER DETAILS:
http://www.keele.ac.uk/depts/mn/gwo.html