Program News

Christine Beckman, University of California, Irvine, announces a set of hot topics for San Antonio...

Due to the collective effort of 1077 reviewers, we were able to provide 2243 reviews, to 641 submitters, which were used to select 305 papers and 30 symposia for the 2011 Academy meeting.  It was a heroic effort by all, and an ENORMOUS thanks to everyone that stepped up to provide feedback to authors. This includes the help of my incredible colleagues at UCI.  Kenji Klein and Ann Clark deserve special thanks. We begged, pleaded, coerced and bribed reviewers (promising OMT chap sticks in the final hours, see below), and everyone pitched in.  In fact, we had over 300 new reviewers volunteer this year!  As the number of submissions to OMT increases, so too does our reliance on reviewers.  It is inspiring to see so many people willing to help out.  Thank you!

From this array of papers, we created 80 sessions – roundtable and paper sessions and symposia sessions – organized into interest tracks.  This was a challenging task for several reasons.  First, our San Antonio conference has fewer rooms – making our selection criteria more competitive than usual.  Second, the scholars that submit to OMT cover a dizzyingly broad range of topics that sometimes defy easy categorization.   However, I think you’ll be pleased with the end result. San Antonio will feel more intimate (fewer sessions, more co-location of research topics, and sweltering hot weather that will encourage us to stay indoors), and I hope it encourages even more conversations between sessions.

These sessions don’t include 46 papers that will be in cross-divisional or discussion paper sessions (with some of our best facilitators) – or 16 of our jointly sponsored symposia that have been scheduled by other divisions.  Be sure to look for those in the OMT program when it comes out!   It looks to be a program that will really sizzle.

Below is a preliminary schedule (all in the San Antonio Convention Center, pending modification as a result of scheduling conflicts with other divisions).  We have several rooms dedicated to institutional theory, the topic for which we had the most submissions and reviewers, but we also have tracks on learning, networks, corporate governance, innovation, and social issues.

Thanks for the opportunity to serve OMT as Program Chair.  I look forward to seeing you all at the OMT Welcome Breakfast, where we shall hear from this year’s OMT Distinguished Scholar, Joel Baum.  Please also make sure to attend the OMT Business Meeting and Social Hour on Monday night.  Awards will be announced, the artifact will be revealed, and we’ll have some refreshing tropical drinks.  See you there!

Best, Christine

And here’s an OMT chap stick for all of our red-hot reviewers:

Monday, August 15^th, San Antonio Convention Center (S: Symposia)

Tuesday, August 16^th, San Antonio Convention Center (S: Symposia)