Managing Diversity: European Destiny and Hope

In a dramatically changing world characterized by rapid globalization, unprecedented technological progress, and structural, institutional, demographic, sociological and psychological shifts, Europe is facing new challenges and searching for adequate responses and trying to achieve the ideal of building and sustaining global competitiveness while maintaining social harmony. It requires huge economic restructuring and equally dramatic social transformation.

Geographic, historic, economic, institutional, demographic, cultural, and social differences make Europe the most diverse, heterogeneous, and in some aspects also the most fragmented, region in the world. Leading and managing change in such a context is both an exceptional challenge but also an opportunity.

The issue of operational excellence, standardization, and unification versus creativity and innovation, entrepreneurialism, and respect for culture and values is becoming increasingly important at the individual, organizational/institutional, and social levels as well. Creating a dynamic balance and possible synergies between these two apparently conflicting demands is a huge leadership and managerial challenge but also an intellectual one. At the same time it is also another opportunity, since diversity is an inexhaustible source of creativity, innovation, and breakthrough thinking.

European management theory and practice are lagging behind in terms of their focus on diversity and their implications for leading and managing change and developing managerial and leadership capabilities. The EURAM (European Academy of Management) 2008 Conference invites you to contribute to bridging the gap.

Our gathering in Ljubljana and Bled will be the first EURAM Conference organized in the CEE region. As an association focused on change and which celebrates diversity and fosters creativity, innovation and respect for culture, CEEMAN, in cooperation with member institutions the Faculty of Economics, University of Ljubljana, and the IEDC-Bled School of Management, will bring a perspective from the CEE region - the world’s largest laboratory of change.

Join us in Ljubljana and Bled on 14 - 17 May 2008 to explore and discuss these issues in a highly diverse, multidisciplinary, multi-departmental, multi-institutional, and multicultural environment that you will yourself create by bringing and exposing your own approaches, views, research methodology, tools and results, experiences, philosophy, tradition, and values.

Diversity is the biggest European challenge but also its most fascinating opportunity!