Sustainable Academia: Open, Engaged, and Slow Science

Abstract

As we take stock of our new responsibilities to the Journal of M@n@gement and its various contributors, from authors to reviewers, editors, and readers, we also acknowledge the broader challenges that science and society face today. Academic communities have multiplied critics about science’s ‘health’ and ethics in general, or those of management and organization studies in particular. From the institutionalization of imposter syndrome in our fields (Bothello & Roulet, 2019) and a pandemic of burnout (World Economic Forum, 2019), to increased scientific misconducts and threats on scientific integrity (Honig et al., 2018) and to the inadequacy of commercial scientific publishing models with the view of science as a global public good (Willinsky, 2005), academics individually and collectively face major struggles that even connect to wider challenges like climate change or ‘datafication’. In that context, we believe that we need to reflect

Opening Research Data: What Does It Mean for Social Sciences?

“…However, we also believe that it takes time and effort to develop research projects, to design and implement DMPs, to publish research in diamond open access journals, and, at the same time, to open data. In that respect, we even more firmly believe in the need for 'sustainable academia' and 'slow science' that we advocated a few years ago (Berkowitz & Delacour, 2020). We would add to that the need to be reflexive and careful about risks of 'subordination of the researched' (Vijay, 2021a, p. 56).…”

“…We believe that there is an unaddressed paradoxical tension between open science and its commercial uses. We view science as a global public good (Berkowitz & Delacour, 2020), yet the very principles of open science allow reuse by organizations, in particular for performance purposes. We at M@n@gement use a Creative Commons CC BY-NC 4.0 license.…”

“…global trends engage various issues, from the need to respond to growing criticism of a commodification of science and the for-profit model of scientific publication by facilitating access to science as a global public good (Berkowitz & Delacour, 2020) to the need to address a rising prevalence of ethical scandals, scientific fraud and disavowals, and increasing need to assess data quality (Peng et al, 2021).…”

Decarbonising Academia’s Flyout Culture

“…Some academics encourage colleagues to travel by train or bicycle (Delmestri, 2019), and journal editors call on peers to fly less (Nature Nanotechnology, 2019). These efforts include calls for 'slow conferencing' and 'slow science' (Berkowitz & Delacour, 2020;Ruddick, 2019). Professor Laurie Zoloth, director of Northwestern University's Centre for Bioethics, Science and Society, recommends scholars skip conferences every seven years (Oppenheimer, 2014).…”

Kicking the Habit

“…HEIs are taking a range of actions such as conducting research into more efficient technologies to reduce emissions and environmental harm of systems and processes (Shields, 2019;Sibbel, 2009); incorporating topics of environmental sustainability in their curricula (Lozano et al, 2015;Adomssent & Michelsen, 2006); and agreeing to and performing comprehensive sustainability audit initiatives (Findler et al, 2019). Many HEIs are also engaging with issues of environmental sustainability and climate change in multidisciplinary ways not limited to environmental science programs (Androff et al, 2017;Sibbel, 2009) and making commitments to reductions and activities to improve environmental sustainability of institutional activities (Calder & Clugstone, 2003;Wright, 2004;Berkowitz & Delacour, 2020).…”