Join the Dialogue in Oslo
Hosted at BI Norwegian Business School, this Roundtable offers a unique "third space" where global researchers and change leaders converge. Oslo provides a symbolic backdrop for our discussions; as a city embedded in a society characterized by low hierarchical distance and high social trust, it serves as a living laboratory for collaborative innovation.
We invite you to help us shape the future of system leadership by exploring how we move from "power over" to "power with." In an era where social policy and environmental urgency intersect, we must discuss how to build a truly sustainable society through integrative solutions. This requires leadership that transcends organizational boundaries to foster shared agency and collective impact.
By joining us in Oslo, you will engage in a dialogue deeply rooted in the Nordic approach to systemic challenges:
- The Power of Flat Structures: Exploring how psychological safety and reduced hierarchy enable relational coordination across all levels of a system.
- Trust-Based Governance: Discussing how relational trust can serve as a more effective coordinator than traditional command-and-control mechanisms.
- Navigating Welfare Complexity: Learning from the ongoing efforts to coordinate between national, municipal, and private actors to solve "wicked" societal problems.
Join us to explore how these relational dynamics can act as the cornerstone for the systemic transformations our world requires.
We invite paper abstracts and symposium proposals for:
- Empirical research: Scholarly research exploring the dynamics of relational coordination and relational leadership in systems change - early stage work is welcome!
- Reflections from the field: Practitioner-led accounts of leading systems change in healthcare, education, businesses or public policy.
- Methodological innovations: New ways of measuring, mapping, and observing leadership and coordination across boundaries, qualitatively and/or quantitatively.
- People development: New ways of developing human resources to engage in and lead systems change.
Submission Formats
We encourage diverse voices and interactive dialogue. You may submit:
- Individual abstracts: Concise summaries of empirical or conceptual work.
- Group proposals: 3–4 abstracts joined by a common systemic theme.
- Interactive workshops: Hands-on sessions focused on RC tools and leadership practices.
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Key Dates in the Process
- June 12 - Submission Deadline
- July 14 - Notification of Acceptance
- July 31 - Registration Deadline for Presenters
- August 7 - Program Goes Live!
- November 12-14 - RCC Roundtable 2026 at BI Norwegian Business School
If you have any questions or wish to receive feedback on your idea before submitting, please feel free to contact the RCC Team at relationalcoord@brandeis.edu.
Abstract Specifications
- Word limit: 500 words per abstract (not including the title and author[s])
- Content: Your abstract should provide 1) a concise summary of your empirical or conceptual work, 2) your context, 3) your methods of inquiry, 4) your key findings or learnings and 5) implications for action.
- For workshop proposals, the abstract should include 1) a concise summary of the workshop, 2) your learning objectives, and 3) a description of the interactive elements you plan to incorporate.
submit group proposals with 3 to 4 abstracts on a common theme
submit workshop proposals with interactive elements for hands-on learning
Presentation Formats
For each accepted proposal, presenter(s) will be notified of the designated presentation format:
- Individual presentations grouped together into a session: Four 15-minute oral presentations grouped together either in your proposal or by the Roundtable organizers, followed by interactive group discussion
- Shift & Share: 5-minute oral presentation followed by 15-minute small group discussion, repeated 4 times
- Workshop: 1 hour hands-on interactive session
Registration
To be included on the program, all presenters must register for the Roundtable. The RCC wants to expand opportunities to participate in the Roundtable, so feel free to write to the RCC at relationalcoord@brandeis.edu to inquire about scholarships. For those who are able, please contribute to the scholarship fund when you register.