Dear Folks -
You are invited, with our apologies for multiple postings, to join a group of colleagues in a personal and collective "home (and life) greening" effort over the next 11 months and to use that adventure to present a session (if our proposal is accepted, of course, at AOM 2011 and/or maybe OBTC 2011).
Here is the core if our idea:
Goal: To develop an ongoing reflective collective of management academics interested in reducing their personal carbon footprint and willing to share their experiences doing so.
Rationale: For many of us the current global (un)sustainability situation is an overwhelming topic composed of myriad associated issues such as global climate change, environmental management, desertification, carbon taxes or credits, and so on ... and on. It's one thing to lecture and discuss these issues in the classroom and another to translate our concerns into changes in organizational and personal practices. This session is designed to help us, our students, and our colleagues address feelings of impotence on this issue and to learn what works and does not work in taking action at the personal level.
Organizing Model: We are inviting you to join a group formed for this purpose. The members of the group will
1. make very significant efforts to "green" their homes,
2. share progress (and lack of progress) with each other as they do so for the next 11 months,
3. keep at least a journal on the process,
4. participate in submitting a proposal to AOM 2011 on the individual and collective experiences of the group members, and
5. be willing to report in an AOM session on the journey if the proposal is accepted.
The AOM Session: The AOM session proposal will be for a PDW or regular program session in some form (symposium, roundtable, or caucus) depending upon how things evolve between now and the deadline for proposal submissions.
In the session we will also report any classroom applications that emerge from this shared activity (i.e. use of carbon footprint tools, personal storytelling, "partnering" with our students, etc.)
Special Note: Although the thrust of the idea above is focused on AOM (where the idea came up for us) we might wish to submit different proposals based on the same journey to AOM and OBTC, in careful compliance with the rules of both organizations, by adjusting content, focus, format, participants, or whatever.
Possible titles for the session include:
The Biggest Loser Workshop: Putting our 392 Pound Carbon Gorilla on a Diet by Greening our Homes and Lives
Talking the Green Walk: Enlightening, Balancing, and Transcending our Teaching and Research
Next Step for You: If you would like to participate in this adventure, please contact both of us (with the same email message) and we will do our best to answer any questions you have. You will be welcome to help us set up appropriate "ground-rules," support arrangements, etc.
We hope you will join us.
Warm regards,
Jennifer Leigh and Jim Stoner