The thirteenth edition of the Conference on Excellence in Research and Education (CERE 2023) took place at IIM Indore from June 9 to June 11, 2023. With the theme "Organizations in Action: Digitalization and Sustainability in Management Practices," the highly anticipated event brought together more than 200 participants. Over the course of three days, the conference featured 139 paper presentations, 6 keynote addresses, and 3 workshops, providing a platform for academicians, researchers, and experts to share their insights and perspectives on the theme.
During the conference, Prof. Himanshu Rai, Director of IIM Indore, commended the CERE 2023 team for their exceptional organization of the event. Prof. Rai redefined the meaning of CERE, emphasizing the convergence of diverse perspectives, empowerment through knowledge and skills, reflection for critical examination and growth, and engagement for meaningful connections and collaborations. He expressed his hope that these values would guide participants towards excellence and enable them to make a significant impact in their respective fields. Prof. Rai also stressed the importance of digitalization and sustainability for organizations in achieving holistic progress.
Prominent academicians and industry experts delivered keynote addresses on various topics. Prof. Rishikesha T Krishnan, Director of IIM Bangalore, discussed the relationship between digitalization, sustainability, and innovation, highlighting the need for organizations to leverage smart technologies and embrace digital transformation. Prof. Vivek Suneja, Head & Dean of FMS, University of Delhi, focused on artificial intelligence and its impact on the research community, encouraging participants to use AI as a tool in their research without becoming overly reliant on it. Prof. Prashant Mishra, Dean of SBM, NMIMS, Mumbai, explored the link between sustainable strategies and marketing, emphasizing the importance of collaboration for organizations to thrive in today's dynamic environment. Dr. Kamal Gulati, Senior Scientist at AIIMS, discussed the growing importance of management education in medical sciences and the need for collaboration between the medical and management fields to drive innovation and improve healthcare management practices. Prof. Sushanta Mishra, Faculty at IIM Bangalore, talked about research and publication in the age of disruption, highlighting the pros and cons of ChatGPT and emphasizing the importance of relevance in research.
The conference also featured workshops on various topics. Prof. Kunal Kamal Kumar from IIM Udaipur conducted a workshop on Social Network Analysis, highlighting how social positions influence power beliefs and behaviors. Prof. Falguni Vasavada-Oza from MICA discussed Holistic Marketing Management and the impact of digitalization on marketing practices. Dr. V.K. Jain, a retired executive from BHEL, conducted a workshop on Leadership Communication, emphasizing the qualities of impactful leadership communication. Additionally, a workshop on Meditation and Moderation Analysis was conducted by Prof. Murugan P.
The valedictory session of the conference included the announcement of the Best Paper Awards. The first prize, worth Rs. 25,000, was awarded to a paper titled "Humor as a Hiring Hook: The Playful Games Organizations Play to Attract Talents" authored by Kedar Thakur, Aarushi Singh, Prof. Jatinder Kumar Jha, and Dr. Shilpa Jain from XLRI. The second prize, worth Rs. 20,000, went to a paper titled "Insta-Success: How Instagram can sky-rocket small business marketing efforts?" authored by Aditi Rajput, Surya Thapa, Komal Suryavanshi, Prasun Gahlot, and Aradhana Gandhi from SIBM, Pune.
