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18th Equality, Diversity and Inclusion International Conference

7th-9th July 2025, Athens, Greece

 

Alba Graduate Business School, Deree, The American College of Greece

 

Sponsored by:

 

 

Conference theme:

 

AI and diversity in a datafied world of work:

Will the future of work be inclusive?

 

The turn to artificial intelligence (AI) and algorithmic decision-making in people management (PM) and human resource management (HRM) operations, processes and practices have been the subject of an emergent body of research within work and organisation studies. At times articulated through arguments surrounding a lack of regulatory measures or “good” employment data, what connects this research is the rise of a problematic yet powerful discourse in the blind faith placed in the use of algorithms and AI in PM and HRM. Critical research has considered the implications of AI and algorithmic decision-making on the various aspects of PM, including employee control, surveillance, ethics and discrimination (Ajunwa, 2020; Beer, 2017; Parry et al., 2016; Mittelstadt et al., 2016). Research also draws attention to how human biases can be inscribed into the code of the PM algorithms embedding and maintaining inequalities against marginalised gender identities while assuming a veneer of objectivity (Raghavan et al., 2020; Vassilopoulou et al. 2021).

 

Evolving from this body of work, critical scholars have called for additional theorising of the ramifications of AI and algorithmic decision-making in organisations (Lindebaum et al., 2019), exploring especially the processes through which AI may mask inequality and discrimination against marginalised identities in the workplace, replicating social and organisational inequalities and in some instances even amplifying human bias (Hmoud & Laszlo, 2019). Therefore, the conference theme aims to advance knowledge on the impact of AI and algorithmic decision-making on marginalised identities in organisations. In particular, the first aim of the conference theme is to invite research studies that develop new theoretical and empirical insights on how AI and algorithmic decision-making affect fundamental employment results, such as employment opportunities and wages, pathways for career development and promotions, for individuals with marginalised identities.

 

Moreover, the rapid change of organisational forms and boundaries demands an in-depth exploration of the interrelationship between AI and the current arrangements of employee mobility, the rise of new business models, such as platform companies, that characterise the gig economy, as well as new management models where algorithms deliver a wide range of managerial tasks. Such processes, systems, and tasks have provoked controversy regarding the appropriate regulation of algorithmic decision-making, coordination, and control. The second aim, therefore, of our conference theme is to explore how such technological developments in AI and algorithmic decision-making create new forms of social and economic inequality and exclusion for individuals with marginalised identities in the workplace. Such an exploration advances organisational and management theory and research, enriching insights into intersectional work and organisations and has practical implications for employees, managers, organisations, communities, and society.

 

Finally, even less is known about the impact of AI algorithmic decision-making and algorithmic biases on employees’ and relevant stakeholders’ cognitions, emotions, and behaviours. An urgent question pertains to whether (or not) and how discrimination, inequality and disadvantage prompt employee mobilisation, solidarity, advocacy and resistance as the explosive rise of the platform economy and algorithmic management take worker exploitation and control to new levels. The third aim of our conference theme is to explore and understand the consequences and impact of AI and algorithmic decision-making on employee sentiments and whether (or not) and how these sentiments affect how inequality is challenged.

 

An indicative but not exhaustive list of questions that could be addressed by our conference theme and the proposed streams includes the following:

• What are the (un)intended consequences of AI and algorithmic decision-making, especially as it advantages certain individuals or social identity groups while restricting opportunities and excluding individuals with marginalised identities inside and outside organisations?
   

• How do AI and algorithmic decision-making in recruitment and selection, career development, performance management and reward systems, training and development, among other organisational processes, affect employees’ careers and lived experiences in the workplace, especially those with marginalised identities?
   

• Furthermore, how are such processes shaped by AI and algorithmic decision-making, resulting in different outcomes for different groups of workers and a negative impact on already marginalised groups of workers?
   

• How do emergent technologies, such as machine learning, predictive and prescriptive algorithms, online platforms, etc., influence candidate screening and hiring, the allocation of tasks and jobs to employees, and, therefore, individual outcomes at work and especially for those with marginalised identities?
   

• How do new organisational forms, such as online platforms and network-based firms based on emergent AI technologies, impact power distribution in organisations and labour markets, shaping inequality at the workplace?
   

• How do organisations and decision-makers address and adjust to AI and algorithmic decision-making and the future of work? How does AI affect decision-makers and their organisational behaviour, especially concerning PM and HRM decision-making?
   

• How do the myths associated with globalisation, meritocracy, and efficiency interplay with AI and algorithmic decision-making, define working practices, and deepen systemic inequalities against individuals with marginalised identities in organisations?
   

• How do AI and algorithmic decision-making change or reshape existing norms and institutions? How does this affect individuals with marginalised identities?
   

• How is the emergence of AI and algorithmic decision-making experienced by individuals with marginalised identities? How does algorithmic bias demonstrate itself in the day-to-day and mundane employee experiences at work, and how does it affect individuals’ life outside work? How do individuals with marginalised identities navigate algorithmic decision-making?
   

• How are identities rooted in and outside the workplace activated to perpetuate or disrupt algorithmic biases in organisations through solidarity, advocacy, and resistance?
   

• What strategies have proved successful in disrupting algorithmic biases in organisations? How does algorithmic decision-making help to achieve an inclusive society? How can we regulate algorithmic decision-making?

The conference theme for EDI 2025 provides a broad lens through which to investigate global, national, organisational, and individual challenges to equality, diversity, and inclusion.

 

Streams are designed in a traditional academic format, whereas workshops are more open to unconventional and informal procedures. A doctoral colloquium will be held parallel to the conference. Information on deadlines and the mode of submission will be available on the EDI website.