Call for Proposals

This stream is focused on discussions about why hybrid and remote work appeals to women employees. Additionally, this stream explores the mutual benefits women and organizations gain from opportunities to work across hybrid and remote environments.

There are several reasons that women may be attracted to hybrid and remote work. Some examples include balancing work and non-work responsibilities, fewer and shorter commutes, comfort and convenience in working close to schools and childcare or eldercare locations, opportunities to create more accessible work environments, and working in physically, psychologically and emotionally safe work environments.  Hybrid and remote work may also enable women to stay in the workforce rather than dropping out to address family care responsibilities.

We are seeking research proposals, discussion panels, symposia, and roundtable discussions where presenters provide perspectives from organizations, university-based programs, and research-based as well as practice-based discussions that address why hybrid and remote work appeals to some women. As such, we want to address both the benefits women may experience, professionally and personally, from working remotely, and we want to provide greater clarity about the potential downsides for women’s career associated with the choice to work in hybrid or remote environments.

Areas of interest may include but are not limited to:

• Benefits of women working in hybrid and remote environments (e.g., increased labor supply of women, improved work-life balance, greater access to roles that are limited by geographic locations)
• Factors that contribute to women being attracted to hybrid and remote work (e.g., flexibility to manage dependent care responsibilities, managing life events that could affect how they are perceived at work, and potentially being removed from bias in the office environment)
• The role of intersectionality, including but not limited to race, ethnicity, disability, religion, age, etc., in hybrid and remote work. There is an interest in identifying and studying the benefits or barriers that women from historically marginalized communities experience in hybrid and remote work
• Recruitment techniques and strategies to attract women candidates to hybrid and remote work (e.g., Return to work programs)
• Workplace policies that support the recruitment and retention of women in hybrid and remote work
• Links between organizational performance and gender representation in hybrid and remote work
• Company strategies for ensuring that those working in hybrid and remote environments are considered for good job assignments and future promotion opportunities

This stream will help women and organizations working in hybrid and remote environments understand and address institutional, structural, and relational barriers that may result from hybrid and remote work. For example, women might be less visible, feel isolated, have limited access to sponsors and mentors, have difficulty accessing informal professional social networks, experience delayed promotions, miss out on important and sensitive conversations, and potentially have fewer career advancement opportunities.

Additionally, workplace cultures tend to permeate organizational boundaries, meaning that the culture stays the same whether employees work onsite or remotely. Therefore, virtual and hybrid work will not eradicate—and may even exacerbate—gender bias and discrimination present in some work environments.

Areas of interest may include but are not limited to:

• Exclusion from meetings, discussions, and informal interactions in the workplace
• Limited exposure to senior leadership
• Greater difficulty connecting with and developing relationships with clients and customers
• Higher incidents of burnout, stress, and increased mental health challenges for those for whom hybrid and remote work overlap with family responsibilities
• “Flexibility stigma,” where managers perceive an employee’s interest in working outside of the office is a signal that women prioritize family over work responsibilities. Women have always been faced with concerns about their commitment to work, and hybrid and remote work may heighten these concerns among managers. This could lead to fewer career prospects because of being overlooked for developmental opportunities, being denigrated for pursuing non-linear career paths, and being placed on the “mommy track.”
• Increased financial strain, including potentially slower wage growth among women in hybrid and remote work
• Negative or less favorable performance evaluations
• Greater difficulty fitting into male-dominated cultures when not physically present
• Unconscious assumptions about those working in hybrid and remote workplaces that contribute to structural barriers to career advancement

This stream addresses what organizations need to do to make hybrid and remote work a benefit for the employees and the company. Current practices must be adapted if organizations are committed to helping women advance in hybrid and remote work. For example, organizations must create policies that support all employees working in hybrid and remote environments to ensure consistency in compensation, career development, and opportunities to network and build relationships outside their immediate team. To ensure ties to the rest of the organization, companies should identify (executive) sponsors and male allies who are fully committed to advocating for women working in hybrid and remote environments.

To accomplish the hoped for benefits of some employees working in hybrid and remote environments, some organizations will need to make a cultural shift. Of high priority is to avoid creating policies intended to facilitate all employees working in virtual and hybrid work arrangements being perceived as benefitting or as only available to women employees.

Further, companies need to track and measure how access to challenging, stretch assignments could level the playing field such that women working in hybrid and remote environments can benefit from these development opportunities. This stream focuses on actions organizations and leaders can take to support women working in hybrid and remote environments.

Areas of interest may include but are not limited to:

• Addressing the desire of men, as well as women, to take advantage of hybrid and remote work and ensuring the policies and practices are available to all employees, regardless of gender
• Providing guidelines for how male allies can elevate the visibility of women in hybrid and remote environments
• Outlining the role of executive sponsors advocating for women in hybrid and remote environments (e.g., introducing women to members of their network, recommending women for critical projects and stretch assignments, intentionally discussing female proteges during succession planning conversations, helping women vet internal job offers or writing a business case for a new role, and identifying emerging opportunities that are not visible) 
• Assigning women to challenging projects to help prepare them for leadership roles
• Facilitating learning and meaningful connections for women in hybrid and remote environments (e.g., organizing virtual advisory circles and structured mentoring programs) 
• Building an inclusive workplace culture in hybrid and remote environments (e.g., monitoring the experiences of women with disabilities working in hybrid and remote environments, hosting focus groups with women from historically marginalized backgrounds to identify career experiences and barriers, discussing workplace experiences with women in the LBGTQIA+ community working in hybrid and remote environments)
• Raising awareness and eliminating “proximity bias,” wherein the idea that being seen in person is critical for positive reviews and good assignments
• Reassessing performance metrics to focus on outcomes more than process, i.e., what employees produce, not how they do so
• Aligning DEI metrics with deliberate actions intended to support the career growth and development of women working in hybrid and remote environments (e.g., utilizing transparent processes to assign employees to challenging, high-profile assignments, promoting women of color into leadership roles)
• Connecting women in hybrid and remote work to mentorship, sponsorship, and formal/informal networks in hybrid and remote environments

A panel discussion is an informed exchange on a topic by 3-4 people with contrasting or complementary points of view, moderated by a chairperson, with time reserved for audience participation, questions, and comments. The majority of the session time should be spent in unscripted discussion or debate among the panelists. Formal presentations are not appropriate for this type of session. Those interested in submitting a panel discussion proposal may recommend an entire panel with topic and suggested participants or may indicate interest in being part of a panel on a given topic that will be organized by others. In a panel discussion, the moderator ensures that all panelists have the opportunity to speak. The moderator can both pose questions and facilitate audience questions.  Panel Discussions must meet the following criteria:

• Whether for a whole panel or as a panel participant, the Panel Discussion submission should include a Title and Short Description.
• Primary Target Audience.  Describe the target audience for the panel discussion, such as scholars, educators, industry leaders, and HR & Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion professionals.
• Practical Application. Describe how the panel discussion could be applied to resolve a practical problem created by hybrid and remote work.
• Available roles: Moderator, Panelist

For research-based papers/scholarly abstract submissions, the research problem(s) should be clearly stated. Additionally, the submission should include the following:

• Primary Target Audience.  Describe the target audience for the detailed abstract/ research paper, such as scholars, educators, industry leaders, and HR & Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion professionals.
• Practical Application. Describe how the detailed abstract/research paper could be applied to resolve a practical problem created by hybrid and remote work.
• Detailed Abstract – Submission. A detailed abstract should be submitted if the presenter(s) does not have a full paper. The abstract should be approximately 250-1,000 words, excluding references. The Detailed Abstract must include the purpose, need, supporting literature, and research questions.
• Full Paper – Submission. As an alternative to a detailed abstract, a full paper may be uploaded. It is permissible to submit papers that have been presented at other conferences. Full papers must meet the following criteria:
  • Publication status. Indicate if the paper has been previously published, is under review, or if it is a new paper.
  • Be completed in the following format: Times New Roman 12-point font, double spaced, 1-inch (2.5 cm) margin, and 8.5 by 11-inch page setting or A4 (APA 6th is required);
  • Have a page count within the range of 15-25 pages, double-spaced (including figures, table, references); and
  • Be uploaded as a Microsoft Word document.
• Please also indicate if you would like to be considered as a participant on a Panel Discussion or Symposium session as an alternative.
• Available roles: Presenter, Moderator, Panelist

The developmental roundtable discussion format is designed for individuals who are at various stages of their scholarly projects and interested in discussing with others in order to receive feedback. Anyone may submit to a roundtable discussion, but note that we especially welcome doctoral students for Roundtable Discussion sessions. Three to four papers will be grouped together by the program team into the Roundtable Discussion sessions. One or two senior scholars will be asked to chair the session, provide feedback during the session, and to help facilitate the sharing of papers, drafts, or proposals BEFORE the conference to enhance the in-session discussion. All authors accepted for the Developmental Roundtable Discussion sessions will be asked to review all of the other papers in their session in advance of the conference, so they are prepared to give helpful feedback to each other. Because the goal of roundtable discussions is to share and help develop research ideas among doctoral students and other scholars, our preference is for roundtable discussions to occur in-person, only.

During the session, each author should come prepared with:

• A 4-5 minute overview of their project or study
• Provide a summary of two or three questions or challenges for which they would like suggested direction and advice from the session participants
• Participants in the session should ask clarifying questions, offer suggestions, and help the authors identify hidden assumptions and potential challenges for the development of their work. Authors will not use slides but are encouraged to bring handouts or have materials to distribute in the session.
• Available roles: Senior Scholar, Doctoral Student, Research-oriented Practitioner

A symposium is a session with 3-4 presenters on an integrated topic of research, practice, or theory. Symposia submissions group together the ideas of each symposium participant and are submitted together as a complete session submission. The Symposium submission should include a chairperson as well as presenters. If desired, a discussant who has expertise in the topic area may be included in the submission. Alternatively, the chair of the symposium may serve both as a facilitator and a discussant. The submission must include:

• Symposium title, a short description (i.e., a 250-750-word summary that identifies the overarching framework for the session) and a 2-3 page summary of what each participant will present.

• Primary Target Audience. Describe the target audience for the symposium, such as scholars, educators, industry leaders, and HR & Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion professionals.
• Practical Application. Describe how the symposium could be utilized to resolve a practical problem created by hybrid or remote work.
• A brief conclusion with regard to the symposium theme that shows how the presentations collective address the key topic for the session

The 2-3 page summary of what each participant will present should include:

• A clear statement of the main idea to be conveyed during the session
• An explanation of how the presenter’s idea address the symposium theme
• Reference to relevant scholarly research or research context
• The main conclusions or implications of the presenter’s ideas for the overall symposium theme
• Each participant summary should not exceed 1000 words.
• References, tables, and figures do not count toward the limit, but appendices do count toward the limit.

Each symposium submission should use the following guidelines:

• Manuscript (15-25 pages, double-spaced (including optional figures, table, references)
• References appropriate for each presenter
• Times New Roman 12-point font, double spaced, 1-inch (2.5 cm) margin, and 8.5 by 11-inch page setting; and
• Be uploaded as a Microsoft Word document at the time of submission.
• Available roles: Moderator, Symposium Panelist, Discussant if desired

A contributor to, author of, or co-author of the proposal/research/case study who will attend and present at the conference.

A person who acts as a session moderator. For a Symposium, the chair will introduce and thank each presenter, keep time so there is enough time for each presenter (presentation plus any questions), and moderate any discussion after all have presented. For a Panel Discussion, the moderator will act as a facilitator by briefly introducing the overall panel/panelists, posing discussion questions as necessary, moderating audience participation, and assisting with the session's flow.

For Symposia, panelists will present a 4-5 minute overview of their research and then engage in moderated discussion with the other panelists. For panels, panelists will be introduced by the moderator and then engage in moderated discussion with the other panelists.

The role of the senior scholar is analytical; they help deepen the discussion and provide useful feedback. They review the abstracts and/or papers before the conference, noting at least one interesting aspect of each. At the session, the senior scholar shares brief and constructive feedback, suggests areas for further exploration or implications for the field, and offers themes or questions that bridge the papers.

Authors working on scholarly research that might be appropriate for a Roundtable Discussion. Prior to the session, they will share a short list of two to three questions or challenges for which they would like suggested direction and advice. During the session, they will present a 4-5 minute overview of their project or study and hear feedback based on their presentation and pre-submitted questions.

An individual who attends the conference but does not present. Please still click on “Submit Proposal” and enter your information, so we have an indication of interest.