CfP for ABH Annual Conference 2026

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Upgrade to paid Communicating Business History: Audiences, Forms and Impact CfP for ABH Annual Conference 2026 Stephanie Decker FAcSS FBAM Nov 26   READ IN APP   Call for Papers Association of Business Historians Conference 2026 Conference Theme: Communicating Business History: Audiences, Forms and Impact Date: 2-4 July 2026 Venue: Henley Business School, University of Reading Contact: Questions and queries regarding the conference should be directed to ABH2026@reading.ac.uk 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: Organisational Memory and Archives: This theme explores the active role of archivists and collections in keeping organisational memory alive. We invite papers on how corporate or organisational anniversaries are used, the creation of “rhetorical history” by firms, the challenges of institutional longevity, and critical questions around what is remembered and what is left in the “silence of the archives”. Business History and Public History: We seek contributions that examine the practice and impact of business history beyond academia. This could include collaborations with museums and archivists on exhibitions, the creation of podcasts, the representation of business in media and popular literature, and the work of public historians connected to business. Business History outside of the University: Business history is produced and communicated by many individuals, groups and organisations that are not situated within Higher Education institutions. How do we engage with the producers of business history in other forms, with different audiences and by those who Dealing with the Past: How do organisations, and the historians who study them, navigate difficult or controversial aspects of their history? We invite papers that explore how businesses confront their pasts and the ethical responsibilities of this work. Business History in Education and the Business School: As part of our role as educators, largely within business schools, we are in a position to teach sizeable cohorts of students who can be exposed to history. We strongly encourage proposals for a dedicated panel on teaching business history. As is traditional, we also welcome papers and panels on any aspect of business history and will look to develop a diverse programme. Submission Guidelines Papers 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 2026 The 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 Workshop Your application should be no more than 4 pages sent together as a single document. It must contain: A one-page CV One page stating the name of the student’s supervisors, title of the thesis, the university and department where the student is registered and commencement of thesis registration An abstract of the work to be presented. 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, 2026 The 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. Share You're currently a free subscriber to Organizational History Network. For the full experience, upgrade your subscription. Upgrade to paid   Like Comment Restack   © 2025 Stephanie Decker Unsubscribe