Agenda

This event is part of VSM Lectures, a series of seminars by top scholars from renowned international universities and institutions. Invited speakers present their recent studies, share key findings, and explore the impact of their research on the challenges currently faced by society and organizations.

Opening the Black Box of Organizations: negotiating compliance

VSM lecture held by Guy Mundlak, Researcher at Tel Aviv University

*The event will also be available online via Gmeet

Abstract:

This lecture examines how labour law, domestic andtransnational, mandates and encourages a large group
of professionals whose mission is to avoid – adapt – improve – perform beyond compliance with legal
norms. No longer just HR teams, there are now DPOs, CSR professionals, diversity specialists, well-being
managers, health and safety officers, sexual harassment ombudswomen and more. Is the growth of process-based laws and cadre of professionals the new virtuous track of labour protection, which resonates with the business case for caring management? Or perhaps a method to drown business responsibility in protocols, data and ‘soft law’ commitments with a tenuous impact on work and workers? Not only is the answer not clear cut, but it is also shaped within organizations through ongoing negotiations between managers, professionals and frontline workers, who hold different understandings of labour law, its dictates, its purpose, as well as the risk of resistance and the benefits of compliance.