About the Academy of Management
Introductory Guide to AOM and the Annual Meeting
The following guide is a brief overview and user manual for first-time attendees of the Academy of Management's Annual Meeting. This guide was first written by AOM member Alan Meyer in 2012 as "A Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Academy of Management." It was written to orient a group of 25 young African scholars who were about to make their first visit to the Academy of Management and assumes that the reader had no familiarity with AOM or attending a large, academic conference.
Thank you Alan for your inspiration in guiding our new members!
The Academy of Management (AOM) is the preeminent global association devoted to management and organization research, and the oldest and largest community of management and organization scholars in the world.
Mission: To build a vibrant and supportive community of scholars by markedly expanding opportunities to connect and explore ideas.
Vision: We inspire and enable a better world through our scholarship and teaching about management and organizations.
Since its beginning in 1936, AOM has evolved from an organization of 10 members to an organization of over 19,000 members from nearly 120 nations. Read more about AOM's history.
AOM members are management and organization faculty, students and practitioners who are dedicated to enabling a brighter future for society through scholarship, teaching, and practice.
AOM’s 26 professional Divisions and Interest groups (DIGs) promote excellence in established management disciplines. They reflect a broad range of member interests and provide collective relationships among members within a particular subject area.
Each DIG offers a specific range of services, educational sessions and social events at the Annual Meeting. DIG websites offer resources such as professional development opportunities, recognition programs, and member communications specific to each DIG.
DIGs are often considered a member's intellectual home. Members can join 2 DIGs with their membership and many join several more. DIGs can also be categorized into three main areas:
- Micro groups focus on individual people, typically drawing on the discipline of psychology
- Macro groups focus on industries, markets, professions or other large social units, typically drawing on economics and sociology
- Meso groups focus on intermediary social structures and processes that form connections between the micro and macro domains, drawing on diverse social science disciplines.
The Academy of Management mirrors the concept of an Invisible College, a philosophy that dates to the 17th century as a small community of interacting scholars who often met face-to-face, exchanged ideas, and encouraged each other.
AOM’s networks promote scholarly relationships and discussions that elevate members' voices and seek to amplify their ideas. The collective engagement of our members makes AOM a valuable professional network.
At events (Annual Meeting, Specialized Conferences, PDWs, DIG events), members collaborate and are connected with fellow academics, students, executives, and emeriti.
However, for the most part, members connect virtually through our various communications: Connect@AOM, DIG websites, Academy newsletters, and social media.
The first Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management was held in Chicago in 1936 with 24 members in attendance. Today, the Annual Meeting hosts thousands of academics looking to advance research, network with colleagues, and disseminate knowledge addressing the 21st century’s most pressing management and organization challenges. Annual Meeting Historical Timeline.
Each year, AOM’s Annual Meeting includes a specific theme. Throughout its history, the theme of the meeting has evolved to meet the everchanging needs and growth of not only the organization, but of society. From managing diversity and inclusivity to building effective networks and new visions of management in the 21st century, the Annual Meeting has been a platform for discussion, research and knowledge sharing for 80 years.
Annual Meeting Timeline
To help you plan your participation and attendance at the Annual Meeting, use the following dates as approximate times when each of these activities take place.
| Call for Submissions and Reviewers | November |
| Submission System and Reviewer Sign up | December |
| Submission Deadline | January |
| Registration begins | March |
| Program is released | May |
| Annual Meeting | Early August |
Annual Meeting Submission Types
- Professional Development Workshops (PDWs)
- Panel Symposia
- Presenter Symposia
- Showcase Symposia
- Caucus
- Division (Traditional) Paper Session
- Discussion Paper Session