Craft, Inequality, and the Future of Work

In this panel symposium we collectively explore the relationship between craft organizing and inequality, and its consequences for the future of work. While management scholars have long paid attention to various craft contexts such as: beer brewing, heritage crafts, or textile crafts, more recently we also see increased number of attempts that propose craft as an alternative approach to organizing. Typically, such conceptualizations, depict craft in overwhelmingly positive manner bringing attention to the meaningfulness of craft work, its more sustainable nature, or its accessibility and importance for local communities and cultures. As such, craft is often depicted as a potential pathway to solving issues caused by social processes such as globalization, or industrialization. Yet, perhaps unsurprisingly, there seems to be also a dark side to craft organizing. Insights from other disciplines and empirical reality suggest that craft can also perpetuate social inequality – a relationship which remains largely understudied phenomenon in management and organization literature. The purpose of this symposium is to bring together a diverse panel of scholars to rebalance the conversation around craft work and craft organizing by drawing attention to both their light and dark sides. By bringing more nuance to conceptualizations of craft, we hope to spark a conversation about opportunities and challenges stemming from adopting craft-based approaches and their consequences for the future of work.