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The questions we ask -  Escaping the economistic paradigm. Towards a human-centered  research agenda?
 
Monday, Aug 11 2008,
8:30 am to  10:20 am
Grand Ballroom - Salon E

<st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Anaheim</st1:place></st1:city> Marriott 
 
Panelists:
·         Domenec Mele, Professor for Business Ethics, IESE, <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">University</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename w:st="on">Navarra</st1:placename></st1:place>
·         Kim Cameron, Professor of Management and Organizations, <st1:placename w:st="on">Stephen</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">M.</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">Ross</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">School</st1:placename> of Business, University of <st1:state w:st="on">Michigan</st1:state>
·         Paul R. Lawrence, Wallace Brett Donham Professor of Organizational Behavior, Emeritus, <st1:placename w:st="on">Harvard</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">Business</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">School</st1:placetype>
Discussant:
·         Rakesh Khurana, Professor of Business Administration, <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Harvard</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">Business</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">School</st1:placetype></st1:place>
Moderator:
·         Michael Pirson, Lecturer and Research Fellow, <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Harvard</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">University</st1:placetype></st1:place>

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Background
Challenges for management in the 21st century are numerous. Environmental degradation, social inequity, declining stakeholder trust and low employee commitment are just some of the many problems that pose a serious threat to 'business as usual'. The questions we ask seem to provide only partial answers to these issues as most researchers are hostage to an economistic paradigm (see most articulate criticism by Ghoshal, 2005). In this symposium, the panelists will discuss an alternative paradigm- humanism- to see if the questions we ask through a different lens can help us to better contribute to the solution of the current crises.

Agenda
To start the session Dr. Michael Pirson will introduce the subject examining the consequences of economism and current deficiencies of 'business as usual'. Prof. Domenec Mele will provide an overview of humanism as an alternative concept for business. Prof. Kim Cameron will talk about the approach of Positive Organizational Scholarship (POS) and outline findings which often escape an economistic understanding of human-beings. Finally, Prof. Paul Lawrence will introduce a Darwinian theory of human beings, which can serve as an integrative basis to rethink human organizing. After the presentations Prof. Rakesh Khurana, will discuss the presented questions and distill problems and challenges, as well as opportunities for the alternative paradigm.