SEIN Research
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SEIN Research
Animal organisation studies
The newly emerging discipline of Animal Organisation Studies takes an interest in the uses and abuses of animals within organisations and management. More specifically, the discipline aims to expose normalised patterns of animal violence and exploitation (often in for-profit organisations) and, at the same time, identify more promising and sustainable alternatives to animals and organisations.
SEIN members bring diverse perspectives and areas of focus to the field of Animal Organisation Studies (AOS). For example, Lille Dumortier’s PhD research explores ways to incorporate animal voices in research in management and organisation studies and examines issues within the animal industrial complex, such as chicken farming. Meanwhile, Prof. Dr. Eline Jammaers focuses on the intersection of animals and human diversity, studying topics like the role of guide dogs for disabled people and women in equestrian sports.
Some publications include:
- Jammaers, Eline, and Astrid Huopalainen. 2023. “I Prefer Working with Mares, Like Women, Difficult in Character but Go the Extra Mile”: A Study of Multiple Inequalities in Equine (Sports) Business.” Gender, Work & Organization 30(6): 2049–2068. https://doi.org/10.1111/gwao.13044.
- Jammaers, E. (2023). On ableism and anthropocentrism: A canine perspective on the workplace inclusion of disabled people. Human Relations, 76(2), 233-257. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/00187267211057549
- Huopalainen, A., & Jammaers, E. (2024). “Making the unimaginable imaginable?” The power of artmaking in understanding animal vulnerabilities and “humanimal” relationality in Organization Studies. Organization, 13505084241238584. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/13505084241238584
Religion in the workplace
Our research on religion aims to understand the dynamics of religious inequality in the workplace, as well as how religious employees themselves navigate this.
Koen Van Laer’s work has focused on the experiences of Muslim employees with (navigating) religious inequalities and the way these religious inequalities become reproduced and/or addressed through organisational policies and practices.
In Charlotte Vermeijen’s PhD research, the attention is geared towards the taken-for-granted norms and assumptions which (re)produce religious inequality in the workplace. By applying the concepts of (political) secularism and racial capitalism, the aim is to better understand the construction of a (racialised) religious difference in light of its capitalist exploitation.
Some publications include:
- Van Laer, K., & Janssens, M. (2014). Between the devil and the deep blue sea: Exploring the hybrid identity narratives of ethnic minority professionals. Scandinavian Journal of Management, 30(2), 186–196. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scaman.2013.08.004
- Van Laer, K. (2015). Managing Muslim Employees and Islamic Practices at Work: Exploring Elements Shaping Policies on Religious Practices in Belgian Organizations. In Managing Religious Diversity in the Workplace. Routledge.
- Van Laer, K., & Essers, C. (2023). The Regulation of Religion by Secular Work Practice: Exploring Muslim Employees’ Performance of Religious Practice. Journal of Management, 1–27. https://doi.org/10.1177/01492063231161344
Religion in the workplace
Our research on religion aims to understand the dynamics of religious inequality in the workplace, as well as how religious employees themselves navigate this.
Koen Van Laer’s work has focused on the experiences of Muslim employees with (navigating) religious inequalities and the way these religious inequalities become reproduced and/or addressed through organisational policies and practices.
In Charlotte Vermeijen’s PhD research, the attention is geared towards the taken-for-granted norms and assumptions which (re)produce religious inequality in the workplace. By applying the concepts of (political) secularism and racial capitalism, the aim is to better understand the construction of a (racialised) religious difference in light of its capitalist exploitation.
Some publications include:
- Van Laer, K., & Janssens, M. (2014). Between the devil and the deep blue sea: Exploring the hybrid identity narratives of ethnic minority professionals. Scandinavian Journal of Management, 30(2), 186–196. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scaman.2013.08.004
- Van Laer, K. (2015). Managing Muslim Employees and Islamic Practices at Work: Exploring Elements Shaping Policies on Religious Practices in Belgian Organizations. In Managing Religious Diversity in the Workplace. Routledge.
- Van Laer, K., & Essers, C. (2023). The Regulation of Religion by Secular Work Practice: Exploring Muslim Employees’ Performance of Religious Practice. Journal of Management, 1–27. https://doi.org/10.1177/01492063231161344
Intersectionality
Research on workplace inclusion focuses on creating environments where all employees feel valued, respected, and able to fully participate. Researching inclusion with an intersectional approach recognises that employees’ experiences are shaped by intersecting identities and related social structures, such as race, gender, class, sexuality, ability, and age. By applying intersectionality, we seek to address these complex dimensions, striving for the inclusion of historically disadvantaged groups and the creation of inclusive organisations, addressing the full spectrum of belonging and marginalisation. SEIN participates in the European Horizon project INSPIRE, which is the European Centre of Excellence on Inclusive Gender Equality in Research & Innovation: Creating Knowledge & Engaging in Collaborative Action. PhD candidate Joanna Beekmans’ work in this context focuses on intersectionality in Higher Education and Research Institutes policies. Meanwhile, PhD candidate Jessica Fiorelli researches inclusion in science and technology work from an intersectionality perspective.
Some publications include:
- Beekmans J., Zanoni P., Van Laer L., ‘Intersectional policies in Higher Education and Research: a scoping literature review’ 23 October 2023 10.5281/zenodo.10033570.
Disability and Neurodiversity in the workplace
Our research focused on disability in the workplace aims to expose ableism in the workplace and its constraining outcomes in organisations.
This includes research on neurodiversity (e.g., employees with autism, ADHD, dyslexia and dyscalculia...) in which we specifically address how organisations tend to favour neurotypical workers and how we can unlock the strengths of a neurodiverse workforce.
Some publications include:
- Jammaers, E., & Fleischmann, A. (2024). Unveiling affective disablism at work: a structural approach to microaggressions. Disability & Society, 1-24.
- Jammaers, E. (2023). Theorizing discursive resistance to organizational ethics of care through a multi-stakeholder perspective on disability inclusion practices. Journal of Business Ethics, 183(2), 333-345.
- Van Laer, K. (2023). Enduring inequalities and employment barriers facing young adults living with spina bifida. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology, 65(6).
- Van Laer, K., Jammaers, E., & Hoeven, W. (2022). Disabling organizational spaces: Exploring the processes through which spatial environments disable employees with impairments. Organization, 29(6), 1018-1035.
- Van Laer, K., Verbruggen, M., & Janssens, M. (2021). Understanding and addressing unequal career opportunities in the ‘new career’era: an analysis of the role of structural career