Special Topic Forum Overview:

In recent decades, the nature of work and the composition of the workforce have changed dramatically. As many workplaces have become more diverse, inclusive, and global, and as work itself takes on new forms (e.g., gig work, remote work, nontraditional hours), the Academy of Management Review has led STFs (e.g., diversity; changing nature of work relationships, the “new normal”) and From the Editor articles (e.g., inequality) to advance theory accordingly. Yet, much of management theory still reflects assumptions and constructs developed within a specific socio-cultural and economic context—often implicitly centered around a predominantly white, male, white-collar, 9-to-5 workforce in Western contexts. It is imperative to examine how theories that arose within particular contexts may overlook or marginalize other experiences. For example, constructs that assume access to resources, job security, or linear career trajectories may not capture the lived realities of those in precarious, part-time, or informal work settings. Likewise, theories predicated on homogeneity within worker identity groups may miss key insights from those who navigate multiple, intersecting identities.

This forum will consider theoretical contributions that challenge or extend existing management theorizing and constructs to better represent a diverse range of workers, including those who work outside traditional paradigms and may experience marginalization within their work contexts.

Call for Contributions:

We encourage submissions that address the complex and evolving dynamics surrounding marginalized workers and populations in organizations. Topics may include but are not limited to:

1. Re-evaluating Theoretical Assumptions about Behavior in Organizations

• How do historical assumptions underlying core theories in our field impact our understanding of marginalized workers today?

• In what ways do traditional or existing theoretical domains that inform workers’ experiences (e.g., employee attitudes, decision making, work-life interface, team dynamics, power and organizational politics, career advancement, motivation, conflict) need to evolve to reflect the experiences of diverse workers, including those who may not conform to professions or office-based work schedules?

2. Movements, Social Activism, and Institutional Change

• How do social movements and grassroots activism influence organizational change, especially in promoting the diversity, equity, and inclusion of marginalized workers?

• What roles do marginalized workers play in social activism within organizations, and how do these movements drive institutional change?

• How can management theories better incorporate the influence of social activism and the agency of marginalized populations in effecting systemic change?

3. Social Evaluation: Stigma, Legitimacy, and Reputation

• How do processes of stigma, legitimacy, and reputation management play out for marginalized workers and groups within organizations?

• What strategies do workers and organizations use to navigate and resist stigma associated with various forms of marginalization, and how do these impact career trajectories?

• How can theories on legitimacy and reputation be expanded to capture the experiences and unique challenges faced by stigmatized or nontraditional workers?

4. Economic Diversity and the Dynamics of Marginalized Communities

• How do social class backgrounds influence workers’ experiences and their ability to navigate organizational environments?

• What unique challenges and opportunities arise for social class transitioners or those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds entering higher-status professions?

• How does economic diversity shape interactions, career progression, and identity within organizational settings, particularly for workers in emerging economies?

• How do dynamics of organization-community relations shift in the context of marginalization?

5. Intersectional Identities and Undertheorized Dimensions of Workplace Inequality

• How do marginalized identities (e.g., race, gender, socioeconomic background, neurodiversity, country of origin) impact experiences of inclusion, advancement, and discrimination in organizations in ways that existing theories cannot explain?

• How can intersectionality theorizing help us better understand the complexities of marginalized workers’ experiences and contribute to more inclusive organizational practices?

6. Nontraditional Work Settings and Emerging Workforce Models

• How do theories on professionalism and workplace dynamics apply (or fail to apply) in gig work, remote work, and other nontraditional employment arrangements?

• What are the implications for marginalized populations who may disproportionately occupy these roles, and how might management research better capture their unique experiences?

• How and when do marginalized individuals create new organizations or organizational forms that might better enable inclusive experiences and spaces?

7. Leadership and Marginalized Populations

• How do traditional leadership theories and styles accommodate (or fail to accommodate) the needs and perspectives of marginalized workers and populations?

• What new leadership frameworks or practices emerge from marginalized groups, and how can these reshape existing paradigms in management research?

• How do marginalized workers navigate leadership roles, and what barriers and enablers influence their success in these positions?

8. Emotion, Hate, and Shame in Marginalization

• What role do emotions like hate and shame play in shaping marginalized workers’ experiences within organizations, and how do such emotions impact identity, motivation, and sense of belonging?

• What strategies do individuals and groups use to navigate or mitigate emotional experiences (e.g., shame, resentment) that arise through stigmatization? How might they impact and inform theorizing on emotions in organizations or other change processes?

9. Embodiment and Marginalization

• How is the body itself implicated in processes of marginalization, and in what ways may these dynamics reinforce social hierarchies within organizational settings?

• How might we more fully account for embodied experiences of marginalization, considering how physical and visible aspects of identity influence perceptions, inclusion, and exclusion in organizational spaces?