Call for PapersAssociation of Business Historians Conference 2026Conference Theme: Communicating Business History: Audiences, Forms and Impact
The Association of Business Historians (ABH) invites submissions for its 2026 annual conference, hosted by Henley Business School at the University of Reading on the theme ‘Communicating Business History: Audiences, Forms and Impact’ In recent years, and indeed at previous ABH conferences, business historians have successfully demonstrated the value of historical perspectives within business schools and the broader academic community, with our work appearing in top journals across management, strategy, and entrepreneurship studies to name a few. Having established our relevance as a discipline ‘sui generis’, this conference turns to a fundamental question: How is business history communicated, understood, and used by those outside our discipline? The conference will explore the ways in which the business past is imagined, constructed, and deployed. We aim to examine the entire ecosystem of historical communication, from the corporate archivist preserving organisational memory to the CEO who sees history as a strategic asset, and from the public historian creating exhibitions to the novelist representing business in popular culture. We hope to prompt questions such as: Who gets to do the remembering? What channels are being used to communicate business history, and what are the effects? What is our role, as academic business historians, in an increasingly crowded market for the consumption of history beyond academia. Suggested Topics: Submissions might explore, but are not limited to, the following areas:
As is traditional, we also welcome papers and panels on any aspect of business history and will look to develop a diverse programme. Submission GuidelinesPapers and Panels:The Programme Committee will consider both individual papers and entire panels. We are keen to encourage both developmental and mature papers. Individual paper proposals should include a one-page (up to 300-word) abstract with the title of the presentation and brief biographical note. Panel proposals should include a cover letter stating the title and rationale for the panel and the name of its contact person; one-page (300-word) abstract and author’s CV for each paper; and a list of preferred panel chairs and commentators with contact information if appropriate. The deadline for submissions is Friday, 30th January 2026. The Program Committee intend to send notifications of acceptance as soon as possible once the deadline has passed. The local ABH Conference organisers are Dr Joe Lane and Professor Peter Miskell. Call for Tony Slaven Doctoral Workshop in Business History, 2nd July 2026The ABH will hold its thirteenth annual Tony Slaven Doctoral Workshop on 2nd July 2026. This event immediately precedes the ABH Conference, and will take place at Henley Business School, University of Reading. Participants in the workshop are encouraged to attend the ABH Conference following the workshop. They will also have an opportunity to participate in the poster presentation. The Workshop is an excellent opportunity for doctoral students to discuss their work with other research students and established academics in business history in an informal and supportive environment. Students at any stage of their doctoral studies, whether their first year or very close to submitting, are invited to apply. The workshop provides new researchers to discuss their work with experienced researchers in the discipline, and also includes professional development sessions. The workshop interprets the term ‘business history’ broadly, and it is intended that students in areas such as (but not limited to) the history of management and organisations, international trade and investment, financial or economic history, agricultural history, the history of not-for-profit organisations, government-industry relations, social studies of technology and historians of labour will find it useful. Students undertaking research in topics with a significant business history element but in disciplines other than economic or business history are also welcome to apply. The format of the workshop is as follows: Each student delivers a 15-minute presentation that is either (depending on how developed your project is) a summary of your PhD prospectus giving an overview of the overarching themes, research questions, and methodologies, or a specific chapter/paper. Time is devoted for discussion of each student’s work and the opportunity to gain feedback from active researchers in the field. How to apply for the Tony Slaven WorkshopYour application should be no more than 4 pages sent together as a single document. It must contain:
You may ask questions and apply via email to the Workshop organiser Dr Ian Jones at ian.g.jones@sheffield.ac.uk . Please use the subject line ‘Tony Slaven Workshop’ and submit by 20th March 2026. Coleman Prize, 2026The ABH is pleased to announce that the 2026 Coleman Prize is now open to PhD theses in Business History (broadly defined). Named in honour of the British Business Historian Donald Coleman, this prize is awarded annually by the Association of Business Historians to recognise excellence in new research. It is open to PhD theses in Business History either having a British subject or completed at a British University. All theses completed in the previous two calendar years (2024 and 2025) are eligible. It is a condition of eligibility for the Prize that shortlisted finalists will present their findings at the Association’s annual conference. A list of previous winners can be found here: https://www.theabh.org/previous-winners To apply for the Coleman Prize, supervisors are encouraged to nominate recent PhDs. Self-nominations are also strongly welcomed. Please send a PDF including the title of your PhD dissertation and a brief abstract (up to 2 double-spaced pages) to Dr. Kondwani Happy Ngoma at kondwani.ngoma@hhs.se by 15th February 2025. The abstract should make clear the theses’ contribution to business history. Longlisted candidates will be requested to submit electronic copies of their thesis by 15th March 2025. Finalists will be notified by 15th May 2025 and will be invited to present their findings in-person at the annual conference. You're currently a free subscriber to Organizational History Network. For the full experience, upgrade your subscription.
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Wednesday, 26 November 2025
Communicating Business History: Audiences, Forms and Impact
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