Call for proposals 2026
The Organisational Communication (ORG) Working Group invites the submission of abstracts for its 2026 conference, to be held from 28 June to 2 July 2026 in Galway, Ireland, hosted by the University of Galway.
The deadline for submission is 3 February 2026 at 23:59 UTC.
Download this call for papers as a PDF file
Theme
IAMCR conferences cover a wide range of topics defined by our thematic Sections and Working Groups (S/WG). Each year, a central theme invites participants to engage in shared reflection across these diverse areas, fostering dialogue and collaboration.
The 2026 central theme, Peripheries and Connections: Media, Communication, and Transformation, addresses the complexities of contemporary media systems in a polarised and interconnected world. By interrogating the tensions between centrality and marginality—whether geographical, cultural, political, or conceptual—this theme aligns with IAMCR’s commitment to fostering critical and inclusive dialogues across diverse perspectives.
Consult a detailed description of the main theme
The Organisational Communication Working Group is dedicated to contributing to the theoretical and practical understanding of the place, purpose, manifestations and implications of communication within and across organisational borders, from critical, structural and strategic perspectives.
The Organisational Communication Working Group invites proposals aligned with the thematic scope of the general call, emphasising issues within the fields of organisational communication, public relations, advertising, and strategic communication from both strategic and critical perspectives. Proposals related to the 2026 central theme, “Peripheries and Connections: Media, Communication, and Transformation”, could explore, for example, the dynamics of local organisational practices engaging with global issues such as sustainability, digital inequalities, migration, and social justice. Additionally, submissions may examine the role of activists or marginalised groups and spaces as sites of resistance, creativity, and hybridity, and how these influence organisational communication strategies and narratives. Contributions that explore how critical as well as postcolonial and feminist approaches to organisational communication enhance the study and practice of strategic communication, public relations etc. are also highly encouraged.
In addition to the call for proposals aligned with the general conference theme, we invite submissions for papers and panels that address the working group's areas of interest. These should critically examine the role of organisational communication through the exploration of themes that, while centred around, are not limited to:
- Critical approaches to organisational communication that foster debate on democracy, organisations, power, and public opinion in a mediatised and networked world.
- Structural approaches that highlight the diversity of organisations—from private to public and civil society sectors—and their communication practices, as well as the complex dynamics within various publics that shape communication flow within and across these sectors.
- Classical and innovative models of communication that demonstrate the importance of analysing organisational discourses and narratives from rhetorical, strategic, integrated, and multi-level perspectives.
- Research on corporate, political, social, nonprofit organisations, and governments, approached from both organisation-centric and societal/cultural perspectives.
Guidelines for abstracts
Abstracts for papers to be presented in person at one of the Organisational Communication Working Group’s conference sessions should be between 800 and 1000 words. They must be submitted exclusively through IAMCR’s submission system from 28 November 2025 through 3 February 2026 at 23:59 UTC. Abstracts submitted by email will not be considered.
It is expected that each person will submit only one abstract. However, no author’s name should appear on more than two abstracts, either individually or as part of any group of authors and authors should not submit more than one abstract to any single section or working group. The same abstract, or a version with minor variations in title or content, must not be submitted to more than one Section or Working Group. Such submissions will be deemed to be in breach of the conference guidelines and will be rejected. Authors submitting the same work to multiple Sections or Working Groups may be removed entirely from the conference programme.
Proposals are accepted for both single papers and for panels with several papers (in which several colleagues propose multiple papers that address a single theme).
Evaluation criteria
Submitted abstracts will generally be evaluated on the basis of:
- Technical merit
- Readability
- Originality and/or significance
- Use of or contribution to theory
- Depth of knowledge of the research, theory and/or literature related to the proposed topic as evidenced in the submission
- Relevance to the working group and current trends or controversies in its field
Acceptance of proposals may also be conditioned by programme diversity and balance criteria. The ORG Working Group may assign different weights to the above criteria.
Languages
The Organisational Communication working group accepts abstracts in English or Spanish. However, for abstracts in Spanish, we recommend that researchers prepare presentation aids (e.g., PowerPoint) in English to facilitate comprehension and discussion during the conference.
Statement on use of AI tools
IAMCR does not encourage or condone the use of generative AI tools to prepare abstracts submitted for consideration for our conferences. IAMCR values originality, integrity, and transparency in academic work, and believes that human-authored contributions best support rigorous and innovative scholarship in media and communication research. Should an author choose to use a generative AI tool in the preparation of an abstract, we require that they include a clear statement within their submission disclosing the tool's use. This statement must specify: (1) the name of any AI tool used; (2) how the tool was used in preparing the abstract, and; (3) the reason for using the tool. Failure to disclose the use of generative AI in accordance with these guidelines may impact the evaluation and acceptance of the submission.
Intention to attend
Each abstract submitted to IAMCR represents a real cost to the Association and contributes to the workload of volunteer reviewers and organisers. As the number of submissions each year far exceeds the available presentation slots, we ask authors to submit only if they genuinely intend to attend and present their work at the conference if accepted.
Deadlines and key dates
The deadline to submit proposals is 3 February 2026, at 23:59 UTC. Other key dates. Dates are subject to change.
About the Organisational Communication Working Group
Learn more about the work and scope of the Organisational Communication Working Group
Contact the Working Group
For further information about the Organisational Communication working group, its themes, submissions and panels, please contact the working group at orgcomiamcr@gmail.com.
