You are very welcome to join us at these PDW sessions in Boston. The sessions will both be informal workshops: our plan is simple: to talk, listen, and learn. If you are unable to join us *live* in Boston but would like to be included in a later online version of the workshop, please reach out to the organisers who will be very pleased to hear from you.
188 Navigating Business Schools Without a Business Background… Mission (Im)possible?
Friday 04 August | Newbury Room, Park Plaza | 03:00PM – 04:30PM | Sponsor: CMS, DEI
Have you taken a quirky path to your academic career? How do you reconcile your past with your academic identity? Do you keep quiet about your earlier life, if so, who taught you to do this… and why? This session will provide a safe space for exploring these – and more – complex questions. We are very interested to hear from all who have a story to tell.
Workshop abstract: Careers in Business Schools (or equivalent) often presuppose that professors have business-related backgrounds; however, we know from our own experience that this is not always the case. In this workshop, we bring together scholars with unconventional backgrounds and scholars who have taken a more mainstream career path. In doing this, we are enhancing inclusivity by raising awareness of scholars with unconventional backgrounds and foregrounding how their experiences bring richness to business schools, academic teams, publications, projects, and teaching. Our aim is to show scholars who have chosen a career in a Business School, despite an unconventional background, that they are not alone in their academic journey. This will create a sense of community and, potentially, a support network as well as exploring how alternative academic journeys can be supported (or stymied) by scholars who have taken a more conventional route.
Organizers: Paulina Segarra (Universidad Anahuac, Mexico) & Richard Longman (The Open University, UK)
406 Mental Health in Academia: At the Intersection of Doing a PhD and Personal Health and Well-Being
Saturday 05 August | Tremont Room, Park Plaza | 01:00PM – 02:30PM | Sponsor: CMS
Have you experienced mental health related challenges during your PhD or academic career? How do you approach others with similar difficulties? Do you have a strategy that helps you survive the demands of academia? This session will provide a safe space for exploring these deeply personal questions. We approach this subject with utmost care and confidentiality.
Workshop abstract: Much has been said about mental health in academia; however, we believe a more powerful conversation is needed to create a sense of community between those who have similar struggles and concerns. The aim of this workshop is to hear the testimonies of those who have experienced issues with their mental health and attribute said issues to a PhD program or academic career. We believe this will foster normalization of these experiences which have long carried an immense amount of stigma. This will also allow for a community to be formed and for those going through a difficult time in academia to know that they are not alone and that there are others who have experienced similar situations and have found a way to cope with those difficulties. Attendees will hear different personal stories from the panellists on specific topics while also being able to share their own struggles. A stronger sense of community is much needed, and we believe we can help create new peer support networks through this workshop.
Organizers: Paulina Segarra (Universidad Anahuac, Mexico) & Kristin Williams (Acadia University, Canada; University of Eastern Finland)
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Dr Richard Longman, The Open University, UK
Co-Chair Elect, CMS Division, Academy of Management
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