Conference Overview
The Conference on Excellence in Research and Education (CERE) has been organised annually by the Indian Institute of Management Indore since 2010. Over the years, it has evolved into a distinguished platform for scholarly exchange, interdisciplinary dialogue, and international collaboration in management and allied disciplines. The 17th edition, CERE 2027, will be held from 30 April to 02 May 2027 at the IIM Indore campus under the theme “Sustainability and Value Creation: A Quest for Future-Ready Organisations.” The conference seeks to bring together scholars, practitioners, policymakers, and research students to engage with contemporary challenges and emerging opportunities shaping organisations and society.
The conference will feature research paper presentations, panel discussions, and keynote addresses by leading academics and industry experts. A key focus of the conference is to provide doctoral scholars and early-career researchers with opportunities to present their work, receive constructive feedback, and develop meaningful academic and professional networks. By encouraging rigorous inquiry and interdisciplinary engagement, CERE 2027 aims to advance knowledge on sustainability, innovation, responsible management, and value creation in a rapidly changing world. Through these conversations, the conference aspires to contribute to both the development of management scholarship and the enhancement of management education.
Objectives
The primary objectives of CERE 2027 are:
- To foster rigorous dialogue on how organisations can create long-term value that is economically viable, socially responsible, and environmentally sustainable.
- To examine the capabilities, strategies, and forms of leadership and governance that make organisations resilient and future-ready.
- To advance theory and evidence on the tensions, trade-offs, and unintended consequences involved in pursuing sustainability alongside business performance.
- To explore how emerging technologies, including Artificial Intelligence, can be used responsibly to support sustainable value creation.
- To strengthen linkages between academia, industry, and policy for responsible and sustainable business practice.
- To provide doctoral scholars and early-career researchers with a platform for feedback, mentoring, and networking.
About the Theme
Organisations today operate in an environment of rapid and often unpredictable change. Climate change, resource scarcity, technological disruption, demographic transitions, geopolitical volatility, and widening social inequalities are reshaping markets, supply chains, labour systems, and stakeholder expectations. In this environment, the ability to create value over the long term depends less on short-term efficiency and more on an organisation’s capacity to anticipate change, adapt to it, and contribute to the well-being of the societies and ecosystems it depends on.
Together, these developments have broadened the meaning of value creation. Investors, regulators, employees, consumers, and communities increasingly judge organisations on their environmental impact, treatment of people, and the integrity of their governance, alongside their financial performance. Sustainability is therefore no longer a peripheral concern or a compliance exercise. It is becoming central to strategy, innovation, risk management, and competitive advantage. At the same time, pursuing economic, social, and environmental goals together involves real trade-offs, and many organisations struggle to move from stated commitments to measurable outcomes.
CERE 2027 invites scholars, practitioners, and policymakers to explore how organisations can create enduring value in an increasingly complex and interconnected world. The conference welcomes research that advances understanding of how organisations balance economic performance with social responsibility and environmental stewardship, while developing the capabilities needed to thrive amid uncertainty and change. This includes research on resilience, innovation, governance, leadership, workforce transformation, digital technologies, and responsible applications of Artificial Intelligence. Contributions that critically examine tensions, trade-offs, and unintended consequences, and that generate insights for management theory, practice, policy, and education, are especially encouraged. Through this dialogue, CERE 2027 seeks to advance knowledge on building organisations that are not only competitive and adaptive, but also sustainable, responsible, and prepared for the future.
Conference Tracks
Submissions that do not directly address the theme but make a strong contribution to any of the following tracks are equally welcome.
Track 1: Accounting and Finance
This track covers financial reporting, corporate finance, markets, and governance. It also welcomes work on sustainable and impact finance, ESG disclosure and assurance, climate-related financial risk, fintech, and how capital markets value long-term and non-financial performance.
Track 2: Economics and Public Policy
This track covers market structure, behavioural economics, and policy design. It also welcomes work on the economics of climate change and the energy transition, inclusive growth, labour-market change, digital economies, and policy frameworks that encourage sustainable business.
Track 3: Business Policy and Strategic Management
This track covers competitive advantage, corporate strategy, innovation, and governance. It also welcomes work on sustainable business models, dynamic capabilities and organisational resilience, stakeholder value creation, and strategic responses to disruption.
Track 4: Communication
This track covers corporate, organisational, and interpersonal communication. It also welcomes work on sustainability reporting and communication, greenwashing, stakeholder engagement, crisis communication, and the role of digital and AI-mediated media in building trust.
Track 5: Marketing
This track covers consumer behaviour, branding, and marketing strategy. It also welcomes work on sustainable consumption, purpose-driven and responsible branding, circular products and services, digital and AI-enabled customer engagement, and the ethics of marketing practice.
Track 6: Humanities and Social Sciences
This track covers ethical, psychological, sociological, political, and public policy perspectives on business and society. It also welcomes work on corporate responsibility, social justice and inclusion, community well-being, and the human and societal consequences of organisational and technological change.
Track 7: Operations Management and Quantitative Techniques
This track covers supply chains, process design, and decision sciences. It also welcomes work on sustainable and circular operations, supply chain resilience, carbon and resource efficiency, predictive analytics, and decision-making under uncertainty.
Track 8: Organisational Behaviour and Human Resource Management
This track covers leadership, motivation, teams, and organisational culture. It also welcomes work on responsible and sustainable leadership, employee well-being, diversity and inclusion, future skills and reskilling, human–AI collaboration, and the changing nature of work.
Track 9: Information Systems in Management
This track covers digital transformation, enterprise systems, and business intelligence. It also welcomes work on digital technologies for sustainability, responsible AI and data governance, cybersecurity, and the role of information systems in building agile and resilient organisations.
Important Dates
| Activity |
Date |
| Call for Papers release |
25 October 2026 |
| Extended abstract submission deadline |
25 December 2026 |
| Notification of acceptance |
15 January 2027 |
| Registration and payment deadline |
20 February 2027 |
| CERE 2027 conference |
30 April – 02 May 2027 |
Conference Structure
The conference will offer participants keynote addresses, paper presentations, and panel discussions featuring eminent national and international academicians, practitioners, and policymakers.
- Keynote addresses: Distinguished scholars and industry leaders will address the conference theme and sub-themes.
- Panel discussions: Experts from academia, industry, and policy will discuss key questions related to AI and sustainable value creation.
- Paper presentations: Authors of accepted extended abstracts will present their work in track-wise sessions, followed by discussion and feedback.
Who Should Participate
The conference welcomes:
- Academic scholars and faculty members
- Doctoral students and early-career researchers
- Industry professionals and practitioners
- Policymakers and government representatives
Abstract Submission
Types of Contributions
Extended abstracts may be empirical (qualitative or quantitative), conceptual, methodological, or theoretical. Full papers are not required.
Evaluation Criteria
Relevance: Alignment with the conference theme, sub-themes, or tracks.
Originality: Original work that has not been published or presented elsewhere. Rigour: Sound understanding of relevant literature and an appropriate research design. Contribution: A clear contribution to theory, practice, or policy.
Extended Abstract Structure
Maximum 1,200 words, excluding references. Include an abstract (150-200 words), 3-5 keywords, a brief literature review, methodology, research questions or hypotheses (if applicable), results or expected findings, theoretical and practical implications, and references.
Formatting Guidelines
| Item |
Requirement |
| Font / line spacing |
Times New Roman, 12 pt / 1.15 |
| Margins / layout |
1 inch on all sides / single column |
| File format / reference style |
PDF / APA 7th edition |
Anonymity and Review
All submissions undergo double-blind peer review. The extended abstract must not contain author names, affiliations, acknowledgements, funding details, or self-identifying references. Enter author details only in the submission portal. Submissions that are not properly anonymised may be returned without review.
Submission Process
Submit the extended abstract through EasyChair: [link – to be confirmed]. Separately provide an abstract (maximum 200 words) and 3-5 keywords in the portal. Each participant may appear as an author on a maximum of three submissions.
Presentation Limit
A maximum of two presentations per registration is allowed. The same presenter with two accepted papers needs to register and pay the registration fee only once.
AI Declaration Statement
Authors must disclose any use of AI tools in preparing their manuscript at the time of submission, specifying the tools used and the purpose of their use.
Publication Opportunities
Selected papers will be invited to submit full papers for consideration in [journal name(s) / special issue – to be confirmed], subject to the journal’s review process. Accepted extended abstracts will be published in the CERE 2027 Book of Abstracts [ISBN status – to be confirmed]. Authors may opt out of inclusion at registration.
Registration Fees
| Category |
Registration fee |
| Students |
₹6,000 |
| Faculty and other academicians |
₹8,000 |
| Corporate participants |
₹9,000 |
| Foreign participants |
USD 275 |
GST will be charged additionally, as applicable.
Who Must Register
All attendees must register, including presenters and co-authors who attend. Each accepted paper must have at least one registered author presenting in person. Co-authors who wish to attend must register separately.
A maximum of two presentations per registration is allowed. A presenter with two accepted papers needs to register and pay the registration fee only once, covering both presentations by that same registered participant.
The registration and payment deadline is 25 February 2027. Accepted papers without a registered presenter by this deadline will be removed from the conference programme. All presentations will be delivered in person at the IIM Indore campus.
Information Required at Registration
Personal information: Full name, designation, institutional affiliation, contact number, email address, and country of residence.
Registration information: Registration category and presenter/non-presenter status.
Payment information: Payment method and payment confirmation details.
Cancellation and Refund Policy
Send cancellation requests by email to cere@iimidr.ac.in. Refunds will be processed as follows:
| Cancellation request received |
Refund |
| On or before 30 March 2027 |
Full refund less ₹1,000 administrative charges |
| 31 March – 07 April 2027 |
50% of the registration fee |
| After 07 April 2027 |
No refund |
Refunds, if applicable, will be processed within 30 working days after the conclusion of the conference. Any bank charges, transaction fees, or currency conversion charges incurred during the refund process shall be borne by the participant.
GST and payment processing charges are non-refundable.
Registration Transfer / Substitution
Registration may be transferred to another participant from the same institution upon written request received on or before 15 April 2027 only. Substitution requires prior approval from the organising committee.
Conference Venue
Indian Institute of Management Indore (IIM Indore)
Prabandh Shikhar, Rau–Pithampur Road, Indore,
Madhya Pradesh 453556, India
IIM Indore is one of India’s leading management institutions. Its 193-acre campus offers a vibrant academic environment supported by state-of-the-art infrastructure, modern teaching facilities, advanced technological resources, comfortable residential accommodation, and extensive recreational amenities.
Organisers
Patron: Prof. Himanshu Rai, Director, IIM Indore
Conference Chair: Prof. Rajhans Mishra, Chair-DPM, IIM Indore
Conference Co-chair: Prof. Nishant Garg, Faculty, OB & HRM, IIM Indore
Coordinators
Mr. Bijay Kumar Sahoo, DPM Scholar (OB & HRM), IIM Indore
Mr. Vaibhav Dwivedi, DPM Scholar (HSS), IIM Indore
Mr. Vijay Pratap Singh Bhadoriya, DPM Scholar (HSS), IIM Indore
Email: cere@iimidr.ac.in
We invite scholars, practitioners, policymakers, and research students from across the world to join us at CERE 2027 as we explore how organisations can create enduring value and become sustainable, responsible, and prepared for the future.