Workshop Report

On Thursday, 13, and Friday, 14 November 2025, around 30 scholars from across Switzerland gathered in Lucerne for the inaugural workshop of the newly founded Research Committee Organization and Society under the auspices of the Swiss Sociological Association. Hosted at the University of Lucerne, the workshop brought together national and international researchers to discuss current work in organizational sociology in Switzerland and to collectively shape the RC’s future direction.

The thought-provoking workshop began with an informal lunch, where participants had the opportunity to meet and share initial thoughts. After this first energizing exchange, the organizers – Nadine Arnold (University of Lucerne), Mathilde Bourrier (Université de Genève), Roman Gibel (Universität Zurich), and Judith Nyfeler (Universität St. Gallen) – warmly welcomed everyone and introduced the aims and scope of the newly founded RC Organization and Society.

Following this opening, Michael Grothe-Hammer (NTNU, Norway) provided an insightful overview of the current state of the field in his inspiring keynote speech. He emphasized that organizational sociology is, contrary to different voices, far from being dead – it remains alive and vibrant. Beyond its interesting insights, his talk helped set a tone of shared engagement and community that resonated throughout the workshop.

The subsequent roundtable, moderated by Désirée Waibel (Universität Luzern), featured contributions from Merve Gül Barut (Università della Svizzera italiana), Jan Simon Danko (Universität Zürich), Sven Kette (Universität Luzern), Luca Perrig (Universität St. Gallen), Katja Rost, Malte Döhne, Jan Danko, Simon Egli, Niccolò Giorgio Armandola (all Universität Zürich), and Philippe Saner (Universität Luzern, Universität Zürich). They presented ongoing work and stimulated a lively discussion centered on the question “What Makes Swiss Organizations Distinct?”. The exchange of insights continued informally during the much-appreciated coffee break.

The second roundtable, titled “How Can Organizational Sociology Learn and Inform Other Fields?” and moderated by Judith Nyfeler, further provoked an interesting exchange. Paul Peigné (Université de Genève), David Risi (Berner Fachhochschule, Universität St. Gallen), Murillo Salvador (Université de Genève), Stefanie Strulik (PH Bern), Noemi Trucco (Université du Luxembourg), and Jannik Zwahlen (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam) each presented their ongoing research, offering different perspectives on various organizations and from diverse research fields.

The day ended with an evening tour through the Neubad – a former brutalist style swimming pool that has been transformed into a coworking space, cultural venue, and restaurant – where the workshop dinner was held in a relaxed and engaging atmosphere.

The next day opened with a fascinating keynote speech by Henri Bergeron and Patrick Castel (SciencesPo, Paris), who presented their recently published book L’Organocène. Their talk sparked a lively discussion on the phenomenon of over-organized societies, moderated by Mathilde Bourrier.

After a coffee break to recharge everyone’s batteries, the final roundtable addressing the question “Where Is the Field of Organizational Sociology Heading To?” took place: Contributions from Patrik Aspers (Universität St. Gallen), Benjamin Grossmann-Hensel (Universität Zürich), Leah R. Kimber (Université de Genève), Hannah Mormann, Raimund Hasse, and Nadine Arnold (all Universität Luzern) led to an engaged discussion. The session illustrated once more that organizational sociology is not only alive but thriving in promising ways.

The inaugural workshop of the RC Organization and Society successfully brought together a broad community of organizational scholars, as well as scholars who encounter organizations in their work. The rich and lively discussions demonstrated that the field is thriving – in Switzerland and beyond. Through stimulating keynote speeches, fascinating exchanges, and engaged discussions, the workshop paved the way for the RC’s future activities. The participants left Lucerne with new ideas, strengthened connections, and a shared sense of momentum for the work ahead. Or as Henri Bergeron perfectly summarized: “I wish I was Swiss to benefit from the work by such a Research Committee”.

One highlight was the Neubad-tour.