Call for Paper and Panel Submissions

2023 Industry Studies Association Annual Conference 

May 31 - June 2, 2023, Columbus, OH

Submission Deadline - January 20, 2023

*Submission Deadline Extended - January 27th!*


 Submission Forms Now Open

Paper Submission Form
Panel Submission Form

The Industry Studies Association (ISA) cordially invites submissions of abstracts for individual papers and panels for the 2023 ISA Annual Conference. While the ISA welcomes papers and panels related to the conference theme, a tie to theme is not mandatory. Any papers or panels that build upon the ISA’s foundational interest in organizations and industries are welcome.   

ISA’s annual conference provides a forum to share industry studies research with fellow researchers, industry leaders and policy makers; provoke dialogue on industry challenges and opportunities; and form new collaborations. We welcome research that incorporates an industry focus from all disciplines; we regard the multi-disciplinary mix of scholars as one of the greatest strengths of our conference. ISA is especially interested in organized panels and papers that emphasize observation and insight into a particular industry or that consider how knowledge gained in studying one industry can provide insights into other industries.

2023 Conference Theme
Reconceptualizing Competition: Nation, Region, Firm, and Individual

Industry studies research is grounded in a deep understanding of the markets, institutions, and technologies that shape the environment for organizations, workers, and policy makers; typically with a heavy focus on a specific industry. Industry studies research draws on a range of academic disciplines/fields including sociology, psychology, economics, history, and other social sciences; organization and management science; marketing; policy analysis; operations research; engineering; labor markets and employment relations; among others. Industry studies scholars invest deeply in learning the industry context and enjoy sharing what they learn with like-minded others.

It is not uncommon for sessions at an ISA conference to include speakers researching the same industry from different disciplines; or, speakers researching a similar problem in different industries. We believe the conference to be uniquely cross-disciplinary and engaging.

The theme, Reconceptualizing Competition: Nation, Region, Firm , and Individual, reflects a world that seems to be de-globalizing, due first to trade wars in the late 2010s, a realization of the risks of long supply chains during COVID (amid claims of “vaccine nationalism”), followed by high inflation and a ground war in Europe. Partially in response, there has been increased attention to industrial policy (no longer anathema) in many countries.  This means that firms and governments are interacting in a changed environment in which ideas and assumptions about competition are being challenged and reinvigorated.  

Topics of interest relevant to this year’s theme include but are not limited to:

  1. Competition among Nations:
    1. Effect of direct government incentives on national competitiveness of targeted industries
    2. The interplay between national government actions and innovation and competitiveness of the private sector
  2. Competition among Regions:
    1. The relative effectiveness of China’s state-guided capitalism and the West’s democracy-guided capitalism
    2. Effect of global trade agreements and tariffs on industry structure
    3. Within a country, the consequences of competition for business (e.g., among U.S. states for Amazon’s HQ2 or Intel’s new facility)
  3. Competition among Firms:
    1. Navigating the competitive landscape in a world marked by increased uncertainty
    2. Innovating globally as barriers emerge between large trading partners and more government policies target national advantage
  4. Competition among (and for) Individuals:
    1. Managing new employee expectations for “work from home” or “work from anywhere” among employer “return to office” pressures
    2. Worker shortages, the great resignation, quiet quitting

While the ISA encourages papers and panels related to the conference theme, a tie to theme is not mandatoryAny papers or panels that build upon the ISA’s foundational interest in organizations and industries are welcome

The deadline for all submissions is Friday, January 20, 2023, at 5:00 PM  


The Submission Process

Researchers may submit abstracts of up to 250 words for single papers or groups of 3-5 abstracts for organized panels. Panel proposals should identify a theme across the papers included in them (e.g., using one methodology across multiple industries or multiple diverse approaches to a common problem in a single industry). Panels that include practitioners – whether from industry, government, or other organizations – as presenters or discussants are especially welcome.

The deadline for submissions is Thursday, January 20, 2023 at 5;00PM  

Abstracts should be submitted through the ISA submission forms:

Paper Submission Form
Panel Submission Form

In addition to the abstract submission, junior (untenured) faculty may also submit full papers to the Giarratani Rising Star competition and the Best Paper in the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Stream competition, as well as, the Emerging Scholar in Innovation and Entrepreneurship competition, sponsored by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. All papers that significantly advance our understanding of innovation and entrepreneurship are eligible for the Best Paper in Innovation and Entrepreneurship award. A paper does not have to be submitted to the Innovation and Entrepreneurship to receive this award.. Information on all competitions can be found here:

ISA Awards

Submissions should be made to the research streams listed below. However, these streams are not meant to be exhaustive, and the committee also welcomes submissions in the “General Industry Studies” category. This category may include industry-specific as well as cross-industry papers and panels. The program committee will shift papers and panels from the general industry studies stream to other streams where appropriate.

Research streams:

  • Energy, Power, & Sustainability 
  • Public Policy and Competitiveness: National, Regional, and Global
  • Health Care Delivery, Biotechnology, and Pharmaceuticals 
  • Innovation & Entrepreneurship 
  • Labor Markets, Organizations, & Employment Relations 
  • Operations, Supply Chain, and Technology Management 
  • General and Other Industry Studies 

Please feel free to contact the Conference Program Co-Chairs listed below with questions.