Dear colleagues,
Human Relations invites scholars to critically examine the profound transformations brought about by the 'Age of AI' and related technological advancements, and their implications for our understanding of humanness. This special issue aims to advance theory and generate new insights on what it means to be human in an increasingly technologized world.
We invite submissions that explore the integration of emerging technologies (e.g., artificial intelligence, machine learning, robotics, automation, and digital platforms) within organizational and work settings. We seek papers that:
- Analyze the evolving meaning of humanness in the contemporary workplace.
- Investigate both the positive and negative implications of new technologies for core human qualities, including ethical behavior, compassion, autonomy, freedom, dignity, and related values.
- Examine how emerging technologies may facilitate, incentivize, or amplify less constructive human behaviors in organizations.
- Deepen our understanding of how organizations can foster work environments that support employee flourishing (eudaimonia) and preserve authenticity and individuality amidst technological change.
By placing analytical attention on humanness in the context of the contemporary technologized workplace, this special issue seeks to provide new directions for research in sociology, psychology, and organization studies. We seek to inspire scholarly engagement that:
- Explores the shifting role of humanness within and around organizations.
- Advances and critically engages with diverse theoretical perspectives on humanness at the intersection of human relations and emerging technologies.
- Fosters a cross-disciplinary dialogue that integrates existing frameworks and generates novel perspectives.
- Enhances our understanding of humanness and the complex interplay between humans and emerging technologies across various levels in business and public organizations.
The journal's online submission system, https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/hr, will be open from May 1, 2026, to May 31, 2026.
Call for papers:
https://journals.sagepub.com/pb-assets/cmscontent/hum/CfP-SI-Humanness-HumRels-1743592165.pdf
Best regards,
The Guest editorial team: Frank den Hond, Katja Einola, Ashish Malik, Johanna Moisander
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Johanna Moisander
Full Professor
Johanna Moisander Person
AALTO
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