International Attendance Behaviour Network

3rd Meeting of the International Attendance Behaviour Network: Understanding Attendance Behaviour in Context, Place, and Time

3 and 4 June 2025

The International Attendance Behaviour Network brings together a number of scholars in attendance behaviour at work to exchange emergent knowledge and new ideas in the field. Its first meeting led to a position paper in the European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology (Ruhle et al., 2020), which helped to re-define the term ‘presenteeism’, integrate conceptual developments, identify gaps, and set an agenda for future research. The scope of the Network has now evolved from a focus on sickness presenteeism to consider attendance behaviours more broadly. Subsequent events have been instrumental in fostering international collaborations and highly-cited research outputs.

The 3rd meeting of the Network will be hosted by the School of Business at the University of Leicester. This mini-conference will allow us to continue the productive exchanges and contribute to advancing the field. We are now inviting current and new researchers from any discipline interested in the field of attendance behaviour to attend the event and contribute to the development of the field. We welcome scholars from different disciplines who are interested in attendance behaviour at work and with diverse perspectives on related topics.

The event theme looks at the present and future of attendance behaviour research. We ask participants to:

1. Share insights on how presenteeism behaviour has developed recently and
2. Consider what needs to be done to advance attendance behaviour research and practice.

This event will involve approximately 40 scholars to allow for in-depth productive discussions. The two day programme will cover an exchange of new research insights, and exploration of current challenges, perplexing issues, neglected research, methodological advancements, and further research collaborations.

Organizing Panel

• Maria Karanika-Murray (University of Leicester, UK)
• Zara Whysall (Nottingham Trent University, UK)
• Sascha Ruhle (University of Tilburg, NL)
• Caroline Biron (Laval University, CA)
• Mariella Miraglia (University of Liverpool, UK)
• Aristides Ferreira (ISCTE-Instituto Universitário de Lisboa, PT)
• George Michaelides (University of East Anglia, UK)

Programme

Day One

9.30am-10am  Welcome by the Director of Research for Management 
10.00am-10.45pm Keynote (TBC)
11.00am-12.30pm New insights part 1 
2.30pm-1.15pm Lunch
1.15pm-2.45pm New insights part 2
3.00pm-4.30pm New insights part 3
4.30pm Close
Evening (TBC) Dinner

Day Two

9.00am-9.15am Welcome
9.15am-10.45am Methodological developments Dr Zara Whysall, Nottingham Trent University: On thematic trajectory analysis Dr Carolin Dietz, Technische Universität Chemnitz: On the importance of timing
11.00am-12.30pm Food for Thought
12.30pm-1.15pm Lunch
1.15pm-2.15pm What next?
2.15pm Close
Evening (TBC) Informal social

The New Insights sessions will focus on understanding the person in their broader context, in location, and over time. Innovative recent research on the work and non-work context in presenteeism, how attendance behaviours relate to each other, and the process by which they evolve in time. Presentations will be c.12 minutes long. Each presenter will be asked to state what needs to be done to advance the field, based on their research findings. Each session will and conclude with a summary of learnings, from the chair/rapporteur. The Food for Thought session will use an adapted Pecha Kucha to ask critical questions, present new ideas, or raise challenges in the field. Presentations will be 5 minutes long maximum. The aim is to make controversial or polemic statements on our current knowledge, including research and practice. The session will conclude with a summary of critical questions, from the chair/rapporteur.

The presentations can focus on any topic within attendance behaviour that indicates how the field can be advanced. These can include but are not restricted to theoretical propositions, new methods, comparisons, critical reviews, empirical examinations and validations, challenges and potential solutions. More specific topics can include, for example: states and processes, groups and contexts, methodological advancements, decision-making for attendance behaviours, health conditions and attendance behaviour, cross-cultural considerations, learning from successes and failures, integration of different types of attendance behaviours, or other.  Based on the above and the Methodological Developments session, the What Next session will integrate what we have learnt and consider what needs to be done in order to advance research in attendance behaviour. It will end with a discussion of potential opportunities, with the intention to inform productive collaborations across the globe and among a range of researchers.

Outputs

We aim to evaluate, discuss, and stimulate research that addresses current challenges for attendance behaviour research in theory and practice. As outcomes from the event, we envisage:

1. Stronger existing international collaborations that can help to move the field forward
2. Creation of opportunities for new researchers in the field of attendance behaviour to join our discussion and exchange ideas
3. A forum that will allow us to improve the empirical and methodological state of the field. Importantly, we will identify insights on the priorities for advancing attendance behaviour, both in terms of research and also in practice. 

Cost

The University of Leicester will provide all refreshments. Delegates are expected to pay for their own travel and accommodation expenses.

Submissions

To present at the conference please submit an abstract of 250-300 words (excluding references and tables/figures). Submissions will be assessed on their relevance to the topic and scientific standards (i.e., significance, rigor, and potential impact). Participants are welcome to attend without presenting, but note that places are limited. Certificates of attendance can be issued. If you would like to contribute to the network in other ways, we would be happy to hear your suggestions. 

Please send your abstract and other suggestions to Maria Karanika-Murray or Zara Whysall, at maria.km@leicester.ac.uk and zara.whysall@ntu.ac.uk.

Timeline

Deadline for abstract submission: 4 April 2025
Committee reviews the abstracts and decision announced: 15 April 2025
Deadline for registrations: 22 April 2025
Network meeting: 3 and 4 June 2025 

Further information and contact

Maria Karanika-Murray or Zara Whysall, at maria.km@leicester.ac.uk and zara.whysall@ntu.ac.uk. 

Information on accommodation and travel will be available from early-March and shared with the participants closer to the time.