AOM 2026 Reflection: Learning, Development, and Engagement
This year's Academy of Management meeting reminded me why our scholarly community is so special: a place where ideas are challenged, research is strengthened, and science advances through constructive dialogue. One of the highlights of AOM 2026 was presenting two papers that explore how top executives shape strategic decision-making and firm behavior.
8/8/20262 min read
This year's Academy of Management meeting reminded me why our scholarly community is so special: a place where ideas are challenged, research is strengthened, and science advances through constructive dialogue.
One of the highlights of AOM 2026 was presenting two papers that explore how top executives shape strategic decision-making and firm behavior.
Incentivized to React? When CEO Wealth Sensitivity Shapes Competitive Behavior
https://journals.aom.org/doi/10.5465/AMPROC.2026.13792abstract
This research examines an important question in competitive dynamics: Why do some firms respond aggressively to competitors while others defer? Drawing on the Behavioral Agency Model and Competivie Dynamics, I investigate how the sensitivity of a CEO's wealth to firm performance shapes competitive reactiveness. This paper illustrates that competitive actions are not driven solely by market conditions or firm resources, but also by how executives evaluate the potential gains and losses associated with competitive behavior of their firm.
When a Rebel Breaks the Mold: How CEO Nonconformity and TMT Regulatory Focus Affect CVC Investments
https://journals.aom.org/doi/abs/10.5465/AMPROC.2026.12458abstract
The second paper introduces a new concept -- CEO nonconformity -- and examines how and when it, jointly with TMT motivational orientation, affects corporate venture capital investment decisions. Specifically, we examine how CEO nonconformity interacts with the regulatory foci of the top management team to shape a firm's CVC investments. As organizations increasingly rely on corporate venturing for innovation and renewal, understanding the executive antecedents of these decisions becomes even more important. Conversations with attendees provided valuable insights on both the theory and practical implications of this work.
Both presentations generated thoughtful discussions and developmental feedback that will undoubtedly strengthen these projects. I am especially grateful to my co-authors, mentors, discussants, reviewers, and editors whose guidance and developmental efforts made these projects happen.
Beyond presenting, I participated in several outstanding professional and paper development workshops that provided new perspectives on research methods, theory development, and scholarly growth. We often teach that strategy is essential for winning. The STR Division's Boardroom Board Games Social offered a practical reminder of that lesson. And yes... I played Monopoly and somehow came away with the victory.
Perhaps the most inspiring moments came from hearing and meeting scholars whose ideas have fundamentally shaped the field of strategic management. Listening to Don Hambrick discuss the origins of Upper Echelons Theory was a powerful reminder that some of the most influential ideas begin with a simple but profound observation: organizations are, in many ways, reflections of their leaders. Hearing Min-Jer Chen reflect on the development of Competitive Dynamics highlighted how our understanding of competition has evolved from static industry positioning to the ongoing actions and responses among rivals. I was also excited to attend a session where Fernando Suarez presented his new model of competition driven by network effects. His scholarship significantly influenced how I think about competition on platforms and was instrumental in inspiring my first publication. Meeting and learning from scholars whose work helped define the field was a privilege and a reminder of the intellectual legacy we both inherit and contribute to.
I left AOM 2026 energized by new research questions, new collaborations, and renewed. Grateful to AOM for the people who continue to advance management scholarship.
#AOM2026 #StrategicManagement