Dear colleague,
We are writing to request your support in creating an exciting new EGOS Standing Working Group(SWG) on Craft and Emerging Forms of Organizing starting in 2026. In the EGOS tradition, familiar tomany of you, a SWG is an opportunity to build a scholarly community and host several sub-themes(during 4 years) around themes and research problems fitted under the ‘umbrella’ of the SWG.
During a number of years, there has been a growing research interest in craft in a broad sense, andthere are several communities formed, including those centred around previous EGOS sub-themes,presently running large studies and a Kyoto Workshop. Craft and Emerging Forms of Organizing ismeant to include research on making, on ethics of care and what this means for the organization ofwork, for resource-use, and for a sustainable economy, but also questions of meaning, aesthetics
and creativity more broadly (including questions of innovation, of entrepreneurial craft, and socioeconomic development). With this initiative we want to provide an opportunity for you to join forces
with us and show your support for strengthening and enlarging this community. Please do so byfilling out [this online form] that will help us demonstrate widespread support for and interest in thistopic to the EGOS board. (In this case it will be the July Board Meeting (at EGOS Milan).
Our growing team of organizers consists of Daniel Hjorth, Marta Gasparin, Elena Raviola (conveninga 2024 sub-theme on this topic), Emma Bell, Lena Olaison, Fabrizio Panozzo, Jean Clarke, Yutaka
Yamauchi, Judith Nyfeler, Pursey Heugens, Davide Ravasi, Jo-Ellen Pozner, Jochem Kroezen, andInnan Sasaki. We are also applying for a Craft sub-theme in 2025. Diversity and inclusivity are central
to our growing community and we thrive on heterogeneity that present us with more in-betweensfrom where new questions and problems emerge. In-between us there are several research
problems explored, including craft and new technologies; craft and entrepreneurship; innovative
craft; the materiality of making; craft and ethics of care; aesthetics and business creativity; crafting
communities; craft and ecological economies; craft, design and identity; craft and inequality; craft,
occupations and the future of work; and so on. We welcome more perspectives and approaches andhope to creatively organize this community of ours with your contributions.
We see craft research as an important field of knowledge-creation and application that is crucial in
helping societies transition toward more sustainable futures, where organizations are part of society
and the economy is part of the ecology such that we can learn to care for what we make, maintainand cultivate, with the goal of a more inclusive, sustainable and beautiful life. We see EGOS as a key
strategic arena for progressing our research-based knowledge on this. For this, a diverse, multidisciplinary conversation is needed, and a standing working group would secure this. This includes
Special Issues and edited volumes where we can contribute to moving the field ahead. While ourinitiative is one – and we believe an important one – it of course does not seek monopoly on thesequestions. We welcome other initiatives in the broad EGOS palette, but would also be happy to see
you submitting to our initiative should it be successful.
We ask you to support our application by completing this form (that takes 1 minute) – before
November 17th latest: Thank you! You can also reply to this email (by Nov 17th at the latest) toexpress your support. We will of course update you about the outcome of our application and future
opportunities for involvement. Do circulate this (email and link to form) widely to colleagues whoyou think share our interest.
Great! Looking forward to collaborating with you on this!
Our Best Wishes,
Daniel, Marta and Elena, with co-organizers

Emma Bell, Lena Olaison, Fabrizio Panozzo, Jean Clarke, Yutaka Yamauchi, Judith Nyfeler, PurseyHeugens, Davide Ravasi, Jo-Ellen Pozner, Jochem Kroezen, and Innan Sasaki.