European Academy of Management (EURAM) and the European Group for Organizational Studies (EGOS)

This summer, I had the chance to attend two conferences in the field of management and organizational studies: the European Academy of Management (EURAM) and the European Group for Organizational Studies (EGOS). Both events offered invaluable opportunities to present my research, connect with fellow academics, and immerse myself in some of the most critical discussions surrounding social innovation, organizational theory, and the grand challenges we face as a society.

At both conferences, I presented Martin Carree’s and my paper, “Local Preferences and Social Commitment: The Effect of Ecosystem Factors on Social Enterprises’ Social Performance”. Our paper aims to empirically investigate the balance between addressing social problems and ensuring access to necessary resources to scale social performance. By doing so, we seek to address the gap in understanding how social enterprise optimizes their location choices to maximize their social impact. Our findings show that some ecosystem factors positively impact the social performance of social enterprises while others do not. We are very grateful for the helpful comments and questions we received from the audience of both conferences. 

The theme for EURAM this year was “Fostering Innovation to Address Grand Challenges”. As a first-time attendee, I found the experience genuinely impressive. The breadth of paper sessions, keynotes, and symposia offered plenty of opportunities to learn and engage in thought-provoking discussions. What stood out at EURAM was the diversity of interest groups and topics discussed. Within the interest groups, social events were organized at different locations across Bath. The socials provided the perfect opportunity to connect with participants sharing the same interests. In doing so, I had the opportunity to exchange ideas with some of the leading researchers in my field. These conversations left me inspired and filled with new perspectives and research directions. 

Following EURAM, I attended EGOS, where I participated in the sub-theme “Social Innovation at a Crossroads: Organizing and Collaborating for Shared Value.”  This sub-theme focused on how social entrepreneurship, social intrapreneurship, and social extrapreneurship uniquely and collectively contribute to social innovation. It was particularly exciting to engage with academics who are researching the same intersections of social innovation and organizational dynamics that my own work explores.

One of my personal highlights was taking part in the doctoral consortium. It was not only a valuable opportunity to receive feedback on my research but also a chance to gain insightful advice on publishing and career development as a young scholar. I further connected with fellow doctoral students and faculty members who share my interest in social issues in organization studies. I particularly enjoyed the interactive sessions, where we discussed our research challenges and opportunities, and the mentoring session, where senior scholars offered insightful guidance. The collegial and supportive environment within the doctoral consortium left me feeling inspired and motivated.

Overall, attending EURAM and EGOS was an incredibly rewarding experience. I gained new knowledge, skills, network connections, and inspirations for my future research and personal development as an academic. I am, therefore, very happy and thankful to be part of both the EURAM and EGOS community.