SOCIO-ECONOMIC BACKGROUND IN THE WORKPLACE

Please note: The Public Lecture will be held in English/ Bitte beachten: Die Public Lecture wird in Englisch abgehalten.

Socio-economic background (SEB) is gaining increasing attention among business school researchers and business practitioners. The online guest lecture “Socio-Economic Background in the Workplace”, on 12 January 2027, will explore why SEB has become an important topic for organizations, using the United Kingdom as a leading example. Participants will gain insights into current developments, ongoing debates, and the implications for businesses and research.

The public lecture “Socio-Economic Background in the Workplace”, takes place as part of the course MGT604 – Diversity Management and will be moderated by Mag. Dr. Alexander Fleischmann, MA and Mag. Dr. Lars Uhlig, BSc. Participants can look forward to an insightful presentation by Dr. Mark Williams, BSc MSc DPhil, who will examine the growing role of SEB within organisations, drawing on developments in the United Kingdom, where around two million employees work in organisations that collect socio-economic background data. The lecture will discuss the rise in the status of SEB as something now within the purview of organisations, the controversy, and the underlying arguments and evidence. It will also explore how the UK experience can provide valuable lessons for researchers and practitioners in other countries, including Austria.

Key Topics of the Lecture

• The Growing Importance of Socio-Economic Background:
  Why socio-economic background has emerged as a key area of interest for organisations, researchers, and practitioners.
• Debates, Challenges, and Evidence:
  An overview of the controversies surrounding SEB data collection, as well as the underlying arguments and evidence.
• Lessons from the United Kingdom:
  How organisations in the UK are addressing socio-economic background and what implications these developments have for research and business practice in Austria and beyond.

About the Speaker

Dr. Mark Williams, BSc MSc DPhil is a Professor of Human Resource Management at Queen Mary Business School, Queen Mary University of London. He is a quantitative social scientist researching inequality in the British workplace. His research has led to a number of advisory roles in central government, professional bodies, and large employers.

Programme

Sounds intriguing? Join and don’t miss out on these and other exciting insights. We look forward to your participation!

LIVESTREAM DETAILS

To participate in this event, all you need is an internet connection and a functional device (computer, tablet, phone). To access the event, it is recommended to use the Microsoft Edge or Chrome browsers. If you have any questions, reach out directly to the organising team in the chat.

RECORDING NOTICE

This online event will be recorded!

During this event, photographs and/or videos may be taken by or on behalf of Ferdinand Porsche FERNFH or FERNFH Management & Service GmbH. By participating in the event, it is acknowledged that photographs and video materials featuring you may be used for press coverage and published on various (social) media platforms (such as YouTube), publications, and on the FERNFH website.