Webinars

Migration, Business & Society Webinar #4 (November 20, 2023)

Global Cities, Migration, and Business.

Demographers predict that the largest inflow of migration to cities around the world is yet to come and that by 2030, 60% of the world’s population will be living in urban areas. The opportunities of these movements include the exchange of capital, knowledge, and ideas. However, metropolitan hubs also frequently suffer from pollution, congestion, and security, as well as difficulty integrating new arrivals into local communities. Despite these realities, we lack knowledge on the intersection between migration trends, the growth of global cities, and the businesses that operate within them. This webinar will bring thought leaders from academia and policy to address this gap.

The author of the Wall Street Journal bestseller 2030: How Today’s Biggest Trends Will Collide and Reshape the Future of Everything, Mauro F. Guillén (the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania) opened the discussion on the potential effects of the influx of migration to cities around the world. Next, Renate Meyer (Vienna University of Economics and Business) addressed urban governance problems related to migration. Finally, Jason Gagnon (OECD) and Philip McCann (Alliance Manchester Business School) shared insights from their years of expertise in innovative policy solutions to these challenges

Speaker bios: download here.

Migration, Business & Society Webinar #3 (May 24, 2023)

Migrant workers and sustainability in global supply chains: Opening a dialogue between research, business and advocacy

The large-scale recruitment of migrant workers is a major feature of the global economy, with an estimated 169 million international migrant workers—or 1 in 20 workers— worldwide. In particular, economic transitions in middle-income countries are generating an unprecedented demand for labor in regions as diverse as Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe, and South America. This has immense implications for multinational enterprises and the global supply chains that support them. Yet there has been little dialogue across disciplinary frontiers or exchange with practice and policy on this important topic.

This Webinar aimed to address this gap. The opening words were provided by Paul Baldassari (Flex Ltd.) and Elizabeth Frantz (Open Society Foundations). Jeremy Clegg (University of Leeds) and Jennifer Gordon (Fordham University) discussed academic research on social sustainability in global supply chains and the intersection between trade and migration, respectively. Ding Ding (ELEVATE/LRQA) shared insights from her experience in global supply chain auditing and consulting and Neil Wilkins (Institute for Human Rights and Business) contributed his experiences in managing cross-sector partnerships, like the Leadership Group for Responsible Recruitment, that seek to drive positive change.

Speaker bios: download here.

Migration, Business & Society Webinar #2 (November 16, 2022)

Migration and business: Exploring the dynamics behind remittances, cross-border activities of firms, and economic globalization

The implications of migration for development, economic prosperity, and for cross-border activities of firms are undeniable. Migrant remittances represent one of the most transformative processes of migration and are often viewed as a “bottom-up” source of development. The demand created by migrant investments in their home countries supports the expansion of the market for multinational firms and encourages local firms to go abroad themselves. In this webinar, Dilip Ratha, the Head of KNOMAD and Lead Economist for Migration and Remittances at the World Bank was joined by International Business Professors Chris Pitelis (University of Leeds) and John Cantwell (Rutgers University) to discuss these dynamics. To open new lines of interdisciplinary thinking, Professor in Migration and Globalization Mathias Czaika (University for Continuing Education Krems) elucidated on migration policy as intervening factor of economic globalization.

Speaker bios: download here.

Migration, Business & Society Webinar #1 (April 6, 2022)

Migration, humanitarian action, and business: Where do we stand and where should we be heading?

As geopolitical crises unfold and the world turns its attention to the movement of people across borders, management scholars must open new lines of inquiry if they are to maximize impact. In this webinar, Alexander Betts, Professor of Forced Migration and International Affairs at the University of Oxford, and the lead-guest editors of three forthcoming special issues on migration and business Prithwiraj (Raj) Choudhury (Harvard University), Stacey Fitzsimmons (University of Victoria), and Betina Szkudlarek (University of Sydney) discussed where we currently stand and where we should be heading. Peter Buckley, Distinguished Professor of International Business at the University of Leeds, joined the conversation and shared his views on how the multitude of skills and experiences that business scholars bring on board could be leveraged for positive change.

Speakers’ bios: download here.

IHRM Webinar Series #14 (January 20, 2022)

Migration and business: Current issues & future trends

Over the past decades, global migration patterns have been undergoing significant, although often underestimated, transformations. The directionality, geographic spread, climate and urban migration, Industry 4.0., and skills involved have resulted in changes in demand and supply of the workforce. In turn, this has affected corporate human resource management and social sustainability practices as well as the diversity, inclusion, and internationalization strategies of firms. In this presentation, Aida Hajro, Milda Zilinskaite, and Paul Baldassari address the implications of these changes and highlight many unanswered questions and avenues for future research. Moderation by Mila Lazarova.

To access IHRM Webinar Series’ Youtube channel click here.