Navigating New Horizons in Organization Theory: Emerging Trends and Innovative Perspectives

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce the upcoming Special Issue titled "Navigating New Horizons in Organization Theory: Emerging Trends and Innovative Perspectives", and we invite you to contribute your research and insights. The purpose of this Special Issue is to explore and illuminate the latest advancements and innovative approaches within the field of organization theory.

Focus, Scope, and Purpose:

1. Focus: This Special Issue aims to spotlight groundbreaking research and theoretical advancements in organization theory, focusing on novel methodologies, emerging trends, and innovative frameworks.
2. Scope: We are seeking contributions that extend across various dimensions of organization theory, including (but not limited to) organizational behavior, technology and organization, industrial revolution and organization, organizational environment, organizational change, knowledge management, management practices, organizational culture, diversity management, and leadership. Submissions may range from empirical studies to theoretical discourses, provided they offer new perspectives or critical insights.
3. Purpose: The purpose of this Special Issue is to serve as a platform for academic discourse, fostering a deeper understanding of evolving organizational dynamics in a rapidly changing global environment. It seeks to bridge gaps in the current literature and inspire future research directions. 

Relation to existing literature:

This Special Issue will complement and extend the existing body of literature in organization theory by integrating contemporary issues and perspectives. It aims to provide a comprehensive overview of current trends and debates, positioning its contributions within the broader context of ongoing academic discussions. This will enable a re-examination of established theories and potentially pave the way for new theoretical constructs and models in the field. In this call, we have emphasized three dimensions that shape organization theory. They are digitalization, industrial revolutions (Industry 4.0 and Industry 5.0), and COVID-19 outbreak (pre, during, and post). 

Firstly, in the field of organization theory, digitalization has created a new era characterized by a significant shift in the core principles and practices that govern organizational dynamics. This transformation begins with a move from transaction-based to relationship-based decision making, a change that emphasize the growing importance of information systems in managerial decision-making processes. This shift reflects the evolving nature of organizational interactions and decision-making strategies in the digital age (Qureshi, 2022).

Additionally, the impact of digitalization on organization theory is evident in the way it has reshaped power dynamics and improvisation in enterprise systems implementation. As Wainwright and Waring (2021) highlight, the flexibility and adaptability inherent in digital systems have introduced new challenges and opportunities for organizational change, calling for a reevaluation of traditional power structures and decision-making processes.

These changes are part of a larger transformation involving the interplay between organizational routines and IT artifacts (Wolf et al., 2019). This interplay has significant implications for organization theory, as it reshapes the fundamental work systems and practices within organizations.

The transition to remote, collaborative innovation models represents another critical aspect of digitalization's impact on organization theory (Treacy, 2022). This shift towards more distributed, flexible, and autonomous work arrangements presents new challenges for organizational design and management (Leimeister and Blohm, 2022). These challenges include concerns about working conditions, employee surveillance, and the need for new management approaches that accommodate remote and digital work environments.

Moreover, the evolution from traditional face-to-face leadership to distant leadership demonstrates the transformation in leadership models necessitated by digitalization (Erhan et. al., 2022; Busse and Weidner, 2020). This change reflects a broader trend in organization theory towards embracing digital collaboration tools and agile leadership principles, which have significant implications for employee engagement and organizational effectiveness.

Finally, Ivanova (2020) points to the increased need for social and psychological support within digitally transformed organizations, highlighting the human aspect of organizational change. This aspect emphasizes the importance of motivation and stimulation systems that cater to the needs of employees in a digital context, reflecting the complex interplay between human resource management and digital transformation.

The aforementioned discussions demonstrate that digitalization has profoundly influenced organization theory, introducing new paradigms and challenges that redefine how organizations operate, make decisions, and manage their human resources. These changes necessitate a comprehensive and nuanced understanding of organization theory in the digital era, embracing the complexities and opportunities presented by this transformative trend. 

Secondly, within the context of organization theory, the integration of Industry 4.0 and 5.0, along with the challenges brought forth by the COVID-19 pandemic, has catalyzed a significant paradigm shift. This shift reflects a deeper integration of technological advancements and human-centric approaches, reshaping how organizations conceptualize and implement strategies, structures, and processes.

The advent of Industry 4.0 and 5.0 marks a transition towards a more interconnected and resilient organizational framework. Industry 5.0, in particular, emphasizes human-centeredness and sustainability, pushing organizations to reorient their business models to be more adaptive and resilient to global disruptions (Aydin et al., forthcoming; Rahman et al., 2022). This shift necessitates a new approach to organization theory, focusing on the integration of people, processes, and technology, which is crucial for SMEs to harness enhanced data and improve their operations (Mohammadian et al., 2022). Additionally, the balance between technological advancements and social responsibilities has become a central theme, as organizations are required to advance their corporate social responsibility initiatives in line with Industry 5.0’s principles (Potočan et al., 2020).

Thirdly, the COVID-19 pandemic further accelerated these changes in organization theory. It brought to the forefront the critical need for psycho-social support within organizations, as employee well-being took center stage during this crisis (Sahni, 2020). The pandemic also highlighted the dynamic nature of employee–organization relationships, influencing factors such as turnover intentions and employability perceptions (Deng et al., 2022). Moreover, it necessitated a reevaluation of organizational strategies, structures, and control mechanisms, underlining the importance of adaptability and resilience in organizational survival and decision-making processes. 

As a result, the integration of advanced technologies from Industry 4.0 and 5.0, coupled with the organizational challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, has brought about a transformative era in organization theory. This transformation is characterized by an enhanced focus on human-centric approaches, resilience, sustainability, and the need for adaptive organizational strategies in an increasingly complex and interconnected global environment. 

We request that, prior to submitting a manuscript, interested authors initially submit a proposed title and an abstract of 200-500 words summarizing their intended contribution. Please send it to the guest editors (e.aydin@ljmu.ac.uk) or to the /Administrative Sciences/ editorial office (admsci@mdpi.com). Abstracts will be reviewed by the guest editors for the purposes of ensuring proper fit within the scope of the Special Issue. Full manuscripts will undergo double-blind peer-review. 

• Aydin, E., Rahman,M., and Ozeren, E. (2023). "Does Industry 5.0 Reproduce Gender (In)equalities at Organizations? Understanding the Interaction of Human Resources and Software Development Teams in Supplying Human Capitals". Information Systems Frontiers.
• Busse, R., & Weidner, G. (2020). A qualitative investigation on combined effects of distant leadership, organisational agility and digital collaboration on perceived employee engagement. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 41, 535-550. https://doi.org/10.1108/lodj-05-2019-0224
• Deng, H., Wu, W.-K., Zhang, Y., Zhang, X., & Ni, J. (2022). The Paradoxical Effects of COVID-19 Event Strength on Employee Turnover Intention. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19148434
• Erhan, T., Uzunbacak, H. H., & Aydin, E. (2022). From conventional to digital leadership: exploring digitalization of leadership and innovative work behavior. Management Research Review, 45(11), 1524-1543.
• Ivanova, I. (2020). ITANGIBLE REWARDS: FROM THEROTICAL MEHODS TO PRACTICE IN THE MODERN CONDITIONS IN ORGANIZATIONS. Management of the personnel and intellectual resources in Russia, 9, 19-25. https://doi.org/10.12737/2305-7807-2020-19-25
• Leimeister, J., & Blohm, I. (2022). Digitalization and the Future of Work. Die Unternehmung. https://doi.org/10.5771/0042-059x-2022-1-1
• Mohammadian, H., Bakhtiari, A., Castro, M., Wittberg, V., & Brüggemann, T. (2022). The Development of a Readiness Assessment Framework for Tomorrow’s SMEs/SME 5.0 for Adopting the Educational Components of future of I4.0. In 2022 IEEE Global Engineering Education Conference (EDUCON). https://doi.org/10.1109/EDUCON52537.2022.9766609
• Potočan, V., Mulej, M., & Nedelko, Z. (2020). Society 5.0: balancing of Industry 4.0, economic advancement and social problems. Kybernetes, 50, 794-811. https://doi.org/10.1108/k-12-2019-0858
• Qureshi, S. (2022). Tribute to a prodigious scholar, mentor and global thought leader: Professor Peter Keen. Information Technology for Development, 28, 210-213. https://doi.org/10.1080/02681102.2021.2022882
• Rahman, M., Kamal, M. M., Aydin, E., & Haque, A. U. (2022). Impact of Industry 4.0 drivers on the performance of the service sector: comparative study of cargo logistic firms in developed and developing regions. Production Planning & Control, 33(2-3), 228-243.
• Sahni, J. (2020). Impact of COVID-19 on Employee Behavior: Stress and Coping Mechanism During WFH (Work From Home) Among Service Industry Employees. International Journal of Operations Management. https://doi.org/10.18775//ijom.2757-0509.2020.11.4004
• Treacy, S. (2022). Digitally Transforming Organisational Cultures: Ensuring Enhanced Innovation in a Remote Working World. European Conference on Innovation and Entrepreneurship. https://doi.org/10.34190/ecie.17.1.370
• Wainwright, D., & Waring, T. (2021). Enterprise Systems, Power and Improvisation. In Research Anthology on Digital Transformation, Organizational Change, and the Impact of Remote Work. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-7998-7297-9.ch078
• Wolf, V., Bartelheimer, C., & Beverungen, D. (2019). Digitalization of Work Systems - An Organizational Routines' Perspective. Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences. https://doi.org/10.24251/HICSS.2019.724 

Dr. Erhan Aydin
Dr. Emir Ozeren
Dr. Mushfiqur Rahman
Dr. İnan Eryılmaz
Guest Editors

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