Towards a New Research Agenda on Social Power and Human Flourishing

Power with Purpose

February 19–20, 2027

Day 1 — February 19, 2027

8:30 a.m. EST / 5:30 a.m. PST / 2:30 p.m. Paris / 7:00 p.m. IST

Day 2 — February 20, 2027

10:30 a.m. EST / 7:30 a.m. PST / 4:30 p.m. Paris / 9:00 p.m. IST

Hosted Online via Zoom — Access details will be provided to registered participants.

Hosted by: ISOL Global Foundation

About the Symposium

Social power has long been a foundational concept in psychology, sociology, political science, organizational behavior, and leadership studies. Classical and contemporary theories have significantly advanced our understanding of power, influence, authority, leadership, and organizational effectiveness. Yet the unprecedented challenges of the twenty-first century—including polarization, conflict, loneliness, burnout, ethical uncertainty, and the rapid emergence of artificial intelligence—call for a fundamental rethinking of the nature, purpose, and responsible use of power, particularly within organizations.

This international symposium seeks to initiate a new interdisciplinary research agenda that reimagines social power as Power with Purpose—a transformative approach grounded in love, compassion, wisdom, care, ethical responsibility, and human flourishing. Rather than viewing power primarily as a means of influence or control, the symposium invites participants to explore how power relationships in organizations can become catalysts for trust, collaboration, ethical leadership, collective well-being, and sustainable human flourishing.

Bringing together Eastern, Western, and Southern wisdom traditions and scholarship, the symposium provides a global platform for scholars, researchers, educators, and practitioners to develop new theoretical, conceptual, empirical, and practical perspectives on social power. Together, we seek to advance a research agenda that reimagines power relationships as forces for individual, organizational, societal, and planetary flourishing.”

We also welcome critical inquiry examining the conditions, tensions, limitations, and unintended consequences involved in reimagining power as Power with Purpose, including questions of structural and institutional power, inequality, resistance, responsibility, and accountability.

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International Advisory Committee

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Guiding Question

How can power relationships in organizations be reimagined through dialogue among Eastern, Western, and Southern wisdom traditions and scholarship to move beyond influence and control and foster love, compassion, wisdom, care, ethical leadership, and human flourishing?

Purpose

To catalyze a global interdisciplinary and scholar–practitioner research agenda that reimagines social power and power relationships in organizations as forces for love, compassion, wisdom, care, ethical responsibility, and human flourishing through dialogue among Eastern, Western, and Southern wisdom traditions, scholarship, and practice.

Objectives

The symposium seeks to:

1. Advance a new interdisciplinary research agenda on social power, power relationships, and human flourishing.
2. Revisit and critically examine classical and contemporary theories of social power in organizations and society.
3. Reimagine Power with Purpose as a new paradigm for understanding power relationships, leadership, and organizational transformation.
4. Integrate insights from Eastern, Western, and Southern wisdom traditions and scholarship to develop new perspectives on power and leadership.
5. Examine the role of love, compassion, wisdom, care, and ethical responsibility in shaping power relationships and organizational cultures.
6. Foster interdisciplinary dialogue and collaboration across management, psychology, sociology, philosophy, political science, peace studies, and related disciplines.
7. Build an international community of scholars and practitioners committed to collaborative research, knowledge creation, and global partnerships.
8. Promote research that advances ethical leadership, organizational transformation, peace, and human flourishing across individuals, organizations, and society.

Research Themes

Theme I — Rethinking Social Power

1. Classical and contemporary theories of social power
2. Power relationships in organizations
3. Influence, authority, and leadership
4. Ethics, responsibility, and the responsible use of power
5. Emerging perspectives on power

Theme II — Power with Purpose

1. Reimagining power through love and compassion
2. Wisdom, care, and ethical responsibility
3. Responsible, conscious, servant, and values-based leadership
4. Stewardship and organizational citizenship
5. Power as a force for individual and collective flourishing

Theme III — Global Wisdom Traditions, Power, and Leadership

1. Indian Knowledge Systems and organizational leadership
2. Indian, Buddhist, Confucian, Taoist, African, Indigenous, Latin American/Global South, and Western perspectives
3. Comparative perspectives on power and leadership
4. Cross-cultural dialogue and integrative scholarship
5. Integrative approaches to ethical leadership and human flourishing across global wisdom traditions

Theme IV — Power, Leadership, and Human Flourishing

1. Organizational culture and values
2. Meaning, purpose, and flourishing at work
3. Trust, psychological safety, and belonging
4. Compassionate and human-centered organizations
5. Leadership for organizational transformation

Theme V — Power, Peace, and Global Well-Being

1. Dialogue across differences
2. Conflict transformation and reconciliation
3. Peacebuilding and social cohesion
4. Organizations as communities of care
5. Leadership for justice, peace, and global well-being

Theme VI — Shaping the Future Research Agenda

1. Artificial intelligence, ethics, and responsible leadership
2. New paradigms of power and leadership
3. Interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research
4. Scholar–practitioner knowledge creation, global research partnerships, and collaborative inquiry
5. Future directions in social power and human flourishing research

Who Should Participate?

The symposium welcomes scholars, researchers, educators, practitioners, organizational and community leaders, professionals, policymakers, consultants, and doctoral students.

Call for Extended Abstract Submission

Authors are invited to submit original conceptual, theoretical, empirical, interdisciplinary, or practice-based extended abstracts aligned with the Symposium theme and one of the designated research themes.

In keeping with ISOL Global Foundation’s longstanding tradition of bringing scholarship and practice into meaningful dialogue, the Symposium welcomes contributions from scholars, researchers, educators, practitioners, organizational leaders, professionals, policymakers, and doctoral students.

Submissions may follow either a scholarly or practice-based orientation, as appropriate to the nature of the contribution.

Track I: Academic Contributions

The extended abstract should include:

1. Title of the paper
2. Author(s), affiliation(s), and contact information
3. Selected Symposium research theme
4. Background and purpose
5. Research question(s) or objective(s)
6. Theoretical or conceptual framework
7. Methodology, where applicable
8. Key findings, emerging insights, or expected contribution
9. Theoretical, practical, or societal implications
10. Five keywords

Track II: Practice-Based Contributions

The extended abstract should include:

1. Title of the contribution
2. Author(s), organizational/professional affiliation(s), and contact information
3. Selected Symposium research theme
4. Background and context
5. Key issue, challenge, or opportunity addressed
6. Practice, initiative, intervention, model, case, or experience being presented
7. Key insights, outcomes, or lessons learned
8. Relevance to social power, leadership, or human flourishing
9. Practical, organizational, policy, community, or societal implications
10. Five keywords

Practice-based contributions may draw upon organizational, professional, community, policy, institutional, or leadership experience and are not required to follow a conventional academic research-paper structure. They should demonstrate thoughtful reflection, relevance to the Symposium themes, and the potential to contribute to meaningful scholar–practitioner dialogue.

Submission Guidelines – General Requirements for Both Tracks

1. Length: 1,000–1,500 words (excluding references)
2. Language: English
3. Formatting: Times New Roman, 12-point font, 1-inch margins, double-spaced
4. Referencing Style: APA 7th Edition, where applicable
5. File Format: Microsoft Word (.doc/.docx) or PDF

Accepted abstracts will be included in the ISOL Global Foundation International Symposium Book of Abstracts.

Areas of Contribution

The symposium welcomes original scholarly and practice-based contributions that advance understanding of Social Power and Human Flourishing, including but not limited to:

1. Conceptual and theory-building papers
2. Empirical research (qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods)
3. Interdisciplinary and cross-cultural studies
4. Practice-related cases, interventions, initiatives, and organizational experiences
5. Systematic, integrative, and critical literature reviews
6. Philosophical, ethical, and wisdom-tradition perspectives
7. Policy, community, and social-impact perspectives
8. Emerging ideas, future research agendas, and innovative methodological approaches

We especially encourage submissions that challenge conventional understandings of social power and propose innovative theoretical, conceptual, methodological, or practice-based perspectives aligned with the theme of Power with Purpose.

Selected authors may be invited to further develop their work for inclusion in collaborative research initiatives, edited books, journal special issues, and future ISOL Global Foundation scholarly publications.

Important Dates

1. Submission Deadline: December 1, 2026
2. Notification of Acceptance: December 20, 2026
3. Presenter Confirmation & Registration: January 15, 2027
4. International Symposium: February 19–20, 2027

Expected Outcomes

The symposium seeks to:

1. Establish the ISOL Global Research Network on Social Power and Human Flourishing.
2. Advance the international interdisciplinary research agenda on Power with Purpose.
3. Foster international collaborative and cross-cultural research partnerships.
4. Identify selected high-quality contributions for possible further development through collaborative research and potential publication opportunities, subject to appropriate editorial and publisher review.
5. Create an ongoing global dialogue on social power, leadership, and human flourishing through ISOL Global Foundation initiatives.
6. Lay a strong scholarly foundation for the Science of Consciousness and Human Flourishing
   Integrating Indian Knowledge Systems for Inner Development, Integral Healing, and Ethical Leadership.

A Global Invitation

Power has traditionally been understood as the capacity to influence others. Today, the complex
challenges facing organizations and societies call for a deeper understanding of power—one that
advances not only effectiveness but also human flourishing.

This symposium invites a fundamental question: Can power relationships in organizations move
beyond influence and control to become forces for love, compassion, wisdom, care, ethical leadership, and human flourishing?

ISOL Global Foundation warmly invites scholars, researchers, educators, practitioners, organizational leaders, professionals, policymakers, and doctoral students from around the world to join this pioneering international dialogue. Together, we seek to shape a new interdisciplinary and scholar–practitioner research agenda on Social Power and Human Flourishing—one that draws upon diverse global wisdom traditions and scholarship and reimagines Power with Purpose for the flourishing of individuals, organizations, communities, and society.

Symposium Organizer and Chair

Sunita Singh Sengupta, Ph.D.
Founder and President
ISOL Global Foundation (USA)

Email: Sunita.singhsengupta@isolglobalfoundation.org

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