ÂÜÀòÉç¹ÙÍø

Business and Sustainability

Introduction

International Conference on Business and Sustainability: Designing Sustainability, Portland, OR, 15-17 Oct 2008; Deadline 1 Jul

 : : : Posting

: : call

Call for Papers

Portland State University
Center for Design and Innovation for Business & Sustainability

International Conference on Business and Sustainability: Designing Sustainability
October 15-17, 2008

The Center for Design and Innovation for Business & Sustainability at the School of Business Administration in Portland State University is pleased to announce its second annual International Conference on Business & Sustainability. This year’s conference will be held October 15-17, 2008 in Portland, Oregon, USA and will focus on Designing Sustainability. As in the prior year, the conference will include both academic and practitioner forums. It will begin on Wednesday evening with registration and a reception at the Vintage Plaza Hotel in downtown Portland. Thursday’s program will be at the Jean Vollum Natural Capital Center with breakfast followed by a full day of keynote speakers and practitioner panels. Practitioner speakers include innovative business leaders in sustainability from a broad cross-section of industries. Friday, October 17th, is devoted to academic paper presentations and speakers at the Vintage Plaza Hotel. The Vintage Plaza is the official conference hotel.

The conference theme is Designing Sustainability. The four focal topic areas within this theme include:

  • Product and Service Innovations,
  • Supply Chain Management,
  • Community Engagement, and
  • Marketing.

Papers relating to these four topic areas are invited from academia, industry, and non-profit organizations. All disciplinary perspectives, especially multidisciplinary approaches, and research methods are welcome. A wide range of papers will be considered, including but not limited to conceptual, empirical, experimental, and case studies. A partial list of possible topics includes:

Product and Service Innovations

  1. Design Processes
  2. Information Systems for Sustainable Design
  3. Employee Creativity for Sustainable Design
  4. Can Corporate Leadership Inspire Sustainable Innovation?
  5. How Do Businesses and Consumers Co-Create Sustainable Innovation?
  6. The Economics of Sustainable Design
  7. Regulation to Promote Sustainable Design: Fact or Fancy?
  8. Lifecycle Costing for Integrated Sustainable Design
  9. The Role of Corporate Culture in Developing Sustainable Innovation
  10. Measuring the Footprint of Products and Services

Supply Chain Management

  1. Sustainable Procurement Practices
  2. Market Structures and Supply Chain Signaling
  3. Logistics Planning for Environmental Stewardship
  4. Metrics and Measurement for Sustainable Supply Chain Management
  5. Supplier Engagement in Social and Environmental Initiatives
  6. Certifications and Eco-Labels as Part of the Sustainable Supply Chain
  7. Converting Supply Chains to Sustainable Value Chains
  8. Product Take-Back: Challenges, Opportunities and Methods
  9. Trends and Impacts of Regulation on Sustainable Supply Chains
  10. The Roles of Non-Governmental Organizations in Sustainable Supply Chains

Community Engagement Initiatives

  1. Social Enterprise as Community Engagement
  2. Community Members as Stakeholders in Strategy
  3. Beyond Philanthropy: Corporate Community Engagement Strategies
  4. Employees as Participants in Community Engagement Initiatives
  5. Community Engagement: A Necessary Cost or a Smart Investment?
  6. Cross-Sector Partnerships to Deliver Social and Economic Value
  7. Resistant Participant: To What Degree Do Community Members want to be Engaged?
  8. Measuring Impacts: Are Community Engagement Initiatives Leading to the Desired Solutions?
  9. Technology as a Platform for Community Engagement Initiatives
  10. Community Engagement Programs: Unique Efforts or Everday Business?

Marketing Programs

  1. Do Consumers Care about Sustainable Design?
  2. Certification Systems for Sustainable Design
  3. Greenwashing: Determining Who’s Washing and Who’s Real
  4. Is There Really a “Green” Consumer?
  5. ‘Cultural Creatives’ as Consumers
  6. The Impact on Employees of Social and/or Environmental Marketing Programs
  7. When Is There Too Much Consumption?
  8. Overcoming the Critics: Effective Approaches to Engaging the Conscious Consumer
  9. Reconciling Opposing Forces: Marketing in the ‘Age of Globalization v. Localization’
  10. Non-Governmental Organizations as Partners in Marketing Initiatives

Information for Contributors

Individuals from academia, business and government are invited to submit research papers, research abstracts, and proposals for workshops, panels, and symposia and that contribute to advancing sustainability through design practices. All submissions should have a clear sustainability focus. We encourage papers that are cross-disciplinary in nature; that is, they could involve more than a single traditional discipline. We also encourage submissions in which academic researchers collaborate with design practioners to inform theory and methods with the latest realworld applications.

Authors may submit either 1) a research paper that will undergo a blind review by at least two referees or 2) a nonrefereed research abstract of 300 words maximum. All submissions should be submitted electronically following the detailed instructions provided below. All research papers accepted and presented at the conference will be published in abstract form in the conference proceedings.

The submission of a research paper or research abstract means that the authors certify that the research is not copyrighted and it has not been accepted for publication in a journal. Further, authors certify their intent for at least one author to register for and attend this meeting to present the paper or abstract. The copyrights for all forms of presentation at this meeting will remain with the authors.

Submission Deadlines

The submission deadline for refereed research papers is July 1, 2008. Only completed papers or 5-10 page worksin-process will be accepted for review. Papers will be subject to double-blind review by academic and, if appropriate, practitioner reviews. The submission deadline for non-refereed research abstracts is also July 1, 2008. Please send an electronic copy of the papers or abstracts to Elizabeth Lloyd at minor@pdx.edu.

Notice of acceptance or rejection will be sent out by August 1, 2008. All presenters are expected to register for the conference. In addition, registration is required for the paper or abstract to be included in the proceedings. For further information or questions regarding this conference please go to the conference website at:

Conference Schedule

Wednesday, October 15, evening: Registration and reception

Thursday, October 16, all day: Insights from Industry Best Practices plus an evening banquet

Friday, October 17, all day: Sharing Academic Perspectives—This day will consist of concurrent tracks of academic paper presentations. Paper presentations will include discussant comments by academic and industry representatives to ensure that both theoretical and practical aspects of the papers will be considered. The format will be designed to foster productive discussion of these academic papers.

Conference Registration:

The conference fees are shown below.

Early Registration (prior to September 15, 2008), Normal Registration (after September 14, 2008)
Academics, governmental, and non-profits $250 $300
Practitioners $350 $400
Students1 (limited to the first 50 registrants) $75 $75

1We want to thank our sponsors for their generous support that permits us to offer a discounted rate to students.

The fee includes all meals and breaks on Thursday (including a reception & dinner at the Vintage Plaza Hotel) and breakfast and lunch on Friday. The fee does not include lodging. Please register at the following website:

Lodging

The Vintage Plaza Hotel has offered a special rate of $179 per night for this conference. Reservations can by made by calling 1-800-263-2305 or through the website: . When reserving through the website, make sure to enter in the three digit group code: PSU. The cut-off date for reservations at this rate is September 21, 2008. The Vintage Plaza is a relatively small, boutique, environmentally-conscious hotel, with a limited number of rooms. Make your reservations early to ensure that you get a room.

Portland

Portland is one of the world’s leading cities in fostering sustainable business and development. The conference will include opportunities to learn from many area and international businesses and other organizations that are integrate purposeful design for sustainability into their operations. In addition, Portland is a beautiful city, with a thriving downtown and diverse, eclectic neighborhoods. Its coffee shops, bookstores, wine bars and brewpubs provide a community feel that entrances the souls of residents and visitors. Its creative culture, innovative companies, and industry leaders provide a business vitality that supports new entrepreneurs and global enterprises.

For further information, please contact:

Elizabeth Lloyd at:

Center for Sustainable Processes and Practices
Portland State University
Room 310, East Hall
P.O. Box 751
Portland, OR 97207
503.725.8556
minor@pdx.edu
Conference website:
http://www.bizandsustainability.org/