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 mandatory. Any 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