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Call for contributions to the EBEN Annual Conference 27.-29. May 2026 in Rennes, France

Ethics and new beginnings at the personal, organisational and governmental level

New beginnings stand for new ventures, new ideas, challenging existing frames of thinking and acting (Deslandes, 2022). New beginnings can be personal, such as changing consumption patterns (Anantharaman, 2018), starting a new project or new venture (Fassin & Drover, 2017). They can be organizational, such as rethinking an organizations mission (Patzer & Voegtlin, 2013), stopping unethical practices (Culiberg & Mihelič, 2017), introducing new ways of working (Rhodes, Pullen & Clegg, 2010), repairing dangerous organizational practices (Palazzo & Hoffrage, 2025) or venturing figuratively or literary in new terrain (Burnes, 2009; Fassin, 2000). 

New beginnings can reopen the question of corporate purpose, corporate agency, and prompt the development of new corporate governance forms (Ezvan & Langohr, 2024; Koehn, 2016; Mayer 2018; Segrestin et al. 2021). They can also unfold at governmental level as leadership and policies change and require individuals and organizations to change (Corrêa et al., 2023; Kopnina, 2016). New beginnings can be introduced through technological innovations, for instance in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) (Sison, 2024) creating a need for new governance structures (Buhmann & Fieseler, 2023) and unplanned consequences (Alacovska, Booth & Fieseler, 2023).

Because new beginnings can be so innovative that their virtue cannot be judged by comparing them to past frames, substantial efforts are needed to understand how ethical issues emerge in a new context (Foucault, 1990; James, 2019; MacIntyre, 2013; Pelluchon, 2021; Pierron, Pelluchon & Hess, 2020). This EBEN Annual Conference is looking at new beginnings in behaviour, thinking, and practices.

In a world facing many grand challenges such as climate change, inequality, wars and advanced AI use breaking-up routines, braving obstacles and seeking new ways of approaching these challenges, dreaming and creating new realities is essential. However, there are many ethical and practical obstacles in the way of beginning something new.

We are inviting contributions investigating the following and related questions:

• Should we really question our trusted thoughts and theories and change the way we act and conduct business? Are new ideas better than old ones?
• What ethical questions arise around new business models and new forms of governance? How can radically new business ideas address ethical issues successfully?
• What are the ethical risks attached to daring and to avoiding new beginnings? Which ethical risks should we take, and which should we avoid?
• How do we navigate new beginnings involving AI? What kind of managerial, organizational and political governance is needed to exploit the potentials of AI while reducing ethical risks attached to it?
• How can we overcome the many obstacles that come with change at the individual, organizational and societal level in a responsible manner?
• How do the new beginnings of others affect us, our relationships, responsibilities and actions? Which ethical questions arise because of them?

The conference is hosted by the Centre for Unframed Thinking at Rennes School of Business. The event is organised by EBEN France, ESSCA School of Management, EXCELIA Business School and Rennes School of Business with support from [to be announced].

• Julia Roloff, Rennes School of Business. Professor of business ethics and CSR – julia.roloff@rennes-sb.com
• Elisabeth Gressieux, ESSCA School of Management, France, professor of business

ethics and CSR – elisabeth.gressieux@essca.fr

• Cécile Ezvan, Excelia Business School, France, professor of strategy, business ethics

and CSR - ezvanc@excelia-group.com

• Loréa Baïada-Hirèche, Institut Mines-Télécom Business School, Université Paris-Saclay – LITEM, professor of organizational behavior and business ethics – lorea.baiada-hireche@imt-bs.eu

We invite the submission of extended abstracts (1500 to 3000 words) or full papers.

Submission by: February 28^th, 2026

Decision is sent out by: March 31^st, 2026

Early bird registration ends: April 19^th, 2026

Submission should be send to: 2026eben@gmail.com

For more detailed information on the conference our special track on Ethics and New Beginnings for Human Rights Responsibilities of Businesses in Troubled Times and our pre-event doctoral workshop please see the conference website: https://ebenconf2026.sciencesconf.org/?lang=en

Kind regards / Bien cordialement,