We are delighted to invite you to the 21st New Institutionalism Workshop (NIW), to be held at the University of Liverpool Management School (ULMS), UK. The NIW is an annual event aiming to unite scholars from diverse disciplines, countries, and academic traditions to push the theoretical and empirical frontiers of research on institutions in a broad sense. The NIW provides an open forum for experienced academics, early career scholars, as well as doctoral students to meet and have engaging conversations, for reflections on existing work, as well as sharing innovative research ideas and approaches.

We particularly welcome early-stage papers and encourage submissions that introduce novel topics, employ innovative methodologies, explore different research contexts, or offer fresh perspectives. Contributions that deviate from mainstream themes and theories are particularly valued, as they will enhance and broaden our understanding of institutions and institutional phenomena. We are also interested in literature not typically included in standard institutional theory, as well as intellectual sources not available in English. In line with the spirit of the new institutionalism network, the NIW also fosters collaboration and exchange, particularly among scholars from different disciplines and those bridging various academic fields.

We are therefore delighted to invite a broad range of scholars to submit their abstracts to present their work during the 21st Workshop on New Institutionalism in Liverpool. We look forward to many enjoyable and productive discussions during the workshop. Participants are expected to be present throughout the event and actively engage in discussions.

Like few other places, the City of Liverpool combines culture, commerce, politics and history. Once dubbed the ‘Second City of the Empire’, its imperial port provided the gateway to Europe, handling a quarter of the UK’s entire imports and exports. In 1900, the ‘world city’ Liverpool rivaled London and New York for international significance. Its magnificent architecture still conveys these riches, not just of trade, but of auxiliary industries including banking and insurance that organized the flows of capital and the mitigation of risk, while the University's world-leading School of Tropical Medicine provides for the health of travelers. Mighty shipping docks, warehouses, and man-made canals are relics of once brimming commerce while a museum of slavery exhibits the darkest sides of trade. Home of recreation and sports, from the Eurovision song contest to the rivalry of world-famous football clubs, and to a bustling computer games industry, the city has produced winners and losers, and it has itself been on winning and losing sides in global games of commerce, service and entertainment.  The millions of seamen, traders, and migrants passing through the City of Liverpool with thousands of them settling resulted in a cultural diversity that is still apparent today; the city is home to the UK’s oldest Black Community and Europe’s oldest Chinese Community, while a large proportion of the population of Liverpool are of Irish ancestry. The influx of new ideas and talent sparked technological and social innovations including the railways, transatlantic steamships, the world’s first public radio transmission, purpose-built ambulances and motorized municipal fire engines, a lifeboat station, free school milk and meals, and the sanitary act and many more innovations were either facilitated through, or originated at the University of Liverpool, which can lay claim to nine noble Prize laureates.

Part of the prestigious Russell Group, the University of Liverpool is a research-driven institution with a proud civic mission. The Management School (ULMS) is home to world-leading scholarship, with 240 academic staff, a thriving doctoral community, and strong international collaborations. Its mission is to generate transformative knowledge that improves business and society.

Over the last two decades, ULMS has established itself as a centre for impactful research in organization studies, strategy, and change, and has hosted major international conferences including EURAM, BAM, and OLKC. ULMS will also host the EGOS Colloquium in 2027.

The University’s city-centre campus is a five-minute walk from Liverpool Lime Street Station and within easy reach of accommodation, restaurants, and cultural landmarks. Liverpool Airport and the nearby Manchester Airport have frequent connections to European and overseas cities and the Eurostar train provides a speedy rail alternative.

Liverpool is a compact and welcoming city. Participants will find it easy to navigate on foot, by public transport, or even by bicycle. The campus sits in the city’s Knowledge Quarter, a hub of innovation, science, and culture – a fitting setting for critical debates about institutions and the institutionalized. The NIW will take place in ULMS's Chatham Building.

For further information, please visit NIW at ULMS. Feel free to also contact us via NIW2026@liverpool.ac.uk.

Important Dates and Information

Submission of short papers:

October 15 to November 30, 2025 (between 800 and 3,000 words) via NIW2026@liverpool.ac.uk

Decision on acceptance by: December 22, 2025

Online registration starts January 15, 2026

Fees:

Regular: Up to March 1, 2026: 240 £ (early bird), after March 1, 2026: 285 £

PhD Students: Up to March 1, 2026: 190 £ (early bird), after March 1, 2026: 225 £

This includes coffee breaks, lunches, and the conference dinner on Thursday, March 26.

Pre-conference get-together: We are happy to announce that we will continue the tradition of organizing an informal pre-conference get-together for those who want to start the exchange on Wednesday evening (at your own expense). The precise venue for the get-together will be communicated in the near future.

Please note that space is limited, and only those who confirmed attendance during registration will have a guaranteed spot!

Local Organizing Committee:
Dennis Jancsary and Mike Zundel
University of Liverpool Management School
Email: NIW2026@liverpool.ac.uk