Call for Submissions, Business Ethics Quarterly Special Issue

Business Ethics, Illiberalism, and the New Democratic Order in the Digital Age

Submission Window: 1 March – 30 April 2027

Business Ethics Quarterly invites submissions for a special issue examining how business, technology, and political power are reshaping democratic societies in an increasingly illiberal context.

Overview

This special issue explores the transformation of democratic orders through the rise of illiberalism, including postliberalism, technofeudalism, and other forms of authoritarian drift. It focuses on the evolving role of business in these processes, from platform power and data control to corporate influence over public discourse and governance.

Contributions are invited that examine how firms, markets, and technological systems are implicated in democratic erosion, and how the moral and political responsibilities of business should be reconsidered under these conditions.

Aims and Scope

The issue calls for theoretical, empirical, and interdisciplinary work that rethinks business ethics beyond the assumptions of stable liberal democracy. Topics include:

  • Corporate involvement in illiberal or hybrid political regimes
  • Platform power, surveillance, and algorithmic governance
  • Corporate influence on media, public discourse, and democratic institutions
  • Organizational cultures and leadership under authoritarian conditions
  • Political CSR and corporate legitimacy in declining democracies
  • Historical and comparative perspectives on corporate–state relations
  • Resistance, dissent, and moral agency within firms

Submissions from business ethics, management, law, sociology, political theory, media studies, and related fields are encouraged.

Guest Editors

  • Andreas Georg Scherer, University of Zurich
  • Peter Bloom, University of Essex
  • Cristina Neesham, Newcastle University and Swinburne University
  • Yuan Li, Saint Mary’s College of California

Submission Process

Manuscripts must follow Business Ethics Quarterly author guidelines:
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/business-ethics-quarterly/information/instructions-for-authors-submission-guidelines

Submissions should be made via the online system:
https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/beq

When submitting, select the option indicating this special issue.

All papers will undergo initial editorial screening followed by double blind peer review.

Pre-Submission Workshop

A virtual development workshop will be held prior to the submission window.

To apply, submit an extended abstract or proposal (up to 3,000 words) to:
democracy@business.uzh.ch

Workshop application deadline: 30 October 2026
Workshop dates: 26–27 November 2026 (tentative)

Participation is optional and does not guarantee acceptance.

Key Dates

  • Workshop application deadline: 30 October 2026
  • Pre-submission workshop: 26–27 November 2026
  • Submission window: 1 March – 30 April 2027
  • Expected publication: 2029

Learn More

For questions, contact the guest editors at: democracy@business.uzh.ch