View Thread

Research Methods for Sustainability

SIM-ONE Online Workshops 2026

We are delighted to introduce a new initiative, entitled Advancing Sustainability Research through Transdisciplinary, Systems Thinking and Complexity Approaches. This project is supported by a grant awarded by the Research Committee of the Academy of Management (Strategic Project Fund for Methods Training).

The first session - Philosophies of Transdisciplinarity, Complexity and Systems for Sustainability Research - is coming up soon on Tuesday 31 March, 8:30 – 10:30 (GMT)

To register: https://lnkd.in/eCfuWx43

Please note – places are limited, so you are encouraged to register as soon as possible and only if you are sure to attend.

The workshop objectives are to illustrate the transdisciplinary nature of sustainability research, and to highlight the epistemological foundations of systems thinking. Brief presentations will be delivered by Wendy Chapple Chapple (Vienna University of Economics and Business) and Cristina Neesham Brescan (Swinburne University / Newcastle University UK).

To enable rich discussions and insights, a substantial part of the workshop will involve small group activities in breakout rooms, exploring the philosophical foundations of a transdisciplinary project in sustainability research, and how they enable researchers to navigate new ways and methods. This workshop prepares the broader theoretical background for two subsequent workshops of the same project:

Workshop 2: Principles of systems thinking in sustainability research (Thu 30 April 2026, 13:30-15:30 GMT)

This workshop explores how sustainability research can be developed based on systems theory. It focuses on synthetic, dynamic, and closed-loop thinking as key principles of systems thinking, and illustrates how these principles inform our research methods and strategies through hands-on examples.

Organisers: Steve Kennedy (Erasmus University Rotterdam), Sylvia Grewatsch (Brock University), Agnes Toth-Peter (University of Queensland), Marija Roglic (EADA Business School) Contact: Steve Kennedy, skennedy@rsm.nl

Workshop 3: Addressing complex sustainability problems with visual, participatory, and experiential approaches to systems thinking

(Fri 22 May 2026, 13:00-15:00 GMT)

This workshop examines how complexity theory can support and advance sustainability research. It provides insights into participatory approaches of sensemaking and envisioning meant to address complex sustainability problems with stakeholders and within communities.

Organisers: Domenico Dentoni (Montpellier Business School), Amanda Williams (EM Lyon), Marija Roglic (EADA Business School) Contact: Domenico Dentoni, d.dentoni@mbs-education.com