RCC at the Academy of Management 2026

July 31-August 4 in Philadelphia

The annual Academy of Management Meetings will be held in Philadelphia this summer. RCC members belong to many divisions, including Organization Development and Change, Health Care Management, Managerial and Organizational Cognition, Human Resource Management, Organizational Behavior, Organization and Management Theory, Conflict Management, and more.

If you are attending, feel free to join us for the following activities hosted by and recommended by the Relational Coordination Collaborative. In particular, please join us for a Welcome to Philadelphia Gathering Friday evening - hosted by the RCC and our Philadelphia colleagues! And join us Monday evening for the Organization Development and Change social!

Philadelpha is the city of brotherly and sisterly love. Situated between two rivers, it was designed by Benjamin Franklin as a highly walkable city centered around City Hall. You'll love the Museum of Art, and the Franklin Institute - a science museum where you can learn about science through hands on activities. Check out the famous LOVE sculpture by Robert Indiana below!

LOVE Sculpture by Robert Indiana

Friday, July 31

Research Impact: What it is, Why it Matters, and How You Can Increase Your Impact Potential

Time and Location: Friday, 8:30-10:30 am, Loews in Regency C

Chairs:

Lyndon Garrett, Melbourne University
Ileana Stigliani, Imperial College London
Nufer Yasin Ates, Sabanci University

Panelists:

Ryan Quinn, University of Louisville
Corinne Post, Villanova University
Jody Hoffer Gittell, Brandeis University

Scholars traditionally have thought of research impact in terms of classic academic impact via number of publications, level of citations, contribution to the literature, and influence on the thinking and theorizing of academic peers. Nevertheless, we are now increasingly being tasked with demonstrating the impact of our research on the business community and broader society. Several important questions arise as we try to adapt to new pressures juggling multiple responsibilities in this rapidly changing world.... To explore this topic, we bring together a panel of scholars who have meaningful experience in producing impactful research. Each panelist will bring a distinct perspective to our discussion. The final part of this PDW is devoted to the panelists working together with participants to find ways to increase their potential for impactful research.

Sponsoring Divisions: Managerial and Organizational Cognition; Organization Development and Change; Organizational Behavior

Welcome to Philly! Gathering of the Relational Coordination Collaborative and Friends

Time and Location: Friday, 7:00 - 8:30 pm at Hyatt Centric Rittenhouse Square (1620 Chancellor Street)

Hosts:

Jody Hoffer Gittell, Brandeis University

Join us for a warm welcome to Philadelphia hosted by the Relational Coordination Collaborative and our Philadelphia colleagues!

Saturday, August 1

TBD

Time and Location: TBD

Sunday, August 2

TBD

Time and Location: TBD

Rigor-Relevance Award: In Conversation with Nelson Phillips

Time and Location: Sunday, 4:00-5:00 pm

Division Chair: Michael Jarrett, INSEAD

Rigor/Relevance Award Winner: Nelson Phillips, University of California, Santa Barbara

This event recognizes eminent scholars who share their experiences in the pursuit of both rigor and relevance in their research. The Rigor and Relevance Award, sponsored by INSEAD, represents the core values of the Organization Development and Change Division - research that is both highly rigorous and highly relevant. We do not see rigor and relevance as an either/or - we see them as a both/and.

Join us to hear this year's awardee - Nelson Phillips - in a conversation about how he has achieved rigor and relevance in his research.

Sponsoring Division: Organization Development and Change

Monday, August 3

Relational Theories of Organizational Change: Identity, Integration and Interdependence

Time and Location: Monday, 8-9:30 am, Marriott in Franklin 10

Chair and Discussant:

John Paul Stephens, Case Western Reserve University
Katerina Gonzalez, Suffolk University

Presenters:

Daniel Nussbaum, Brandeis University

"Strategic Adaptation of Sub-Organizational Social Identities"

Lena Elisabeth Bygballe, BI Norwegian Business School; Ragnhild Kvalshaugen, BI Norwegian Business School; Anna Swärd, BI Norwegian Business School

"Ebb and Flow of Joint Problem-Solving Orientation in Interorganizational Projects"

Anne Douglass, UMass Boston; Kurt Lebeck, Brandeis University; Jody Hoffer Gittell, Brandeis University

"Recognizing Interdependence: A Relational Theory of Individual, Organizational, Institutional Change"

People have connections at multiple levels of action that impact their well-being and their ability to achieve desired outcomes, individually and collectively. In particular, the quality of these connections - including the presence or absence of shared goals, shared knowledge and mutual respect - impact their ability to engage successfully in multi-level systems change. This symposium will explore the complex relational dynamics of multi-level systems change, taking into account embedded levels of change from the microdynamics of intra and interpersonal change, to the meso-dynamics of inter-group and organizational change, to the macrodynamics of inter-organizational, community and institutional change. Together, we will develop a model that reflects theoretical and practical insights into the relational dynamics operating at multiple levels among multiple stakeholders with differential power, and how these create possibilities and challenges for positive change. This promises to be a highly engaging and thought-provoking symposium.

Sponsoring Division: Organization Development and Change

Integrating Social Networks and Relational Coordination as Complementary Theories and Methods

Time and Location: Monday, 3:00-4:30 pm, Sheraton in Salon 10

Organizers:

Sijia Wei, Northwestern University
Hebatallah Naim Ali, Lancaster University

Panelists:

Jody Hoffer Gittell, Brandeis University
Tom Wolff, Northwestern University
David Krackhardt, Carnegie Mellon University
Scott Soltis, University of Vermont
Hamada Altalib, Yale University
Heather M. Gilmartin, University of Colorado

We live in an increasingly interdependent world- socially, emotionally, economically, physically, environmentally, biologically, and evolutionarily. As a result of interdependence, we need relationships to achieve our desired outcomes, especially in the context of growing complexity. However, relationships are at risk worldwide due to the rise of remote work, technologically mediated communication, economic inequality, and political polarization. In this workshop, we focus on two approaches: Social Network Analysis (SNA) and Relational Coordination (RC), which offer theories and methods for exploring relational challenges and solutions. This panel symposium aims to advance conceptual and methodological understanding of how SNA and RC can be integrated to study relational processes linking organizational structures to outcomes. We will achieve this goal by convening leading scholars and practitioners to engage in a moderated, interactive discussion that examines theoretical foundations, methodological choices, and practical implications of integrating SNA and RC across research and practice.

Sponsoring Divisions: Research Methods; Human Resources; Health Care Management

ODC Business Meeting and Awards Ceremony

Time and Location: Monday, 5:00-6:00 pm,

Division Chair: Michael Jarrett, INSEAD

Division Chair Elect: Jody Hoffer Gittell, Brandeis University

Join us for the annual Member Business Meeting and Awards Ceremony for the Organization Development and Change Division! We will honor the award recipients below, then recognize them again at the Division Social.

Distinguished Scholar Award:

Tom Lawrence, University of Oxford

Distinguished Educator Award:

Richard Stackman, University of San Francisco

Rigor and Relevance Award:

Nelson Phillips, University of California, Santa Barbara

Pasmore Woodman Award:

Julia Balogun, University of Liverpool; Linda Rouleau, HEC Montreal

Division Best Paper Award:

Angela Greco, Delft University of Technology

Outstanding Article Award - Scholar Oriented:

Laurie J. Barclay, University of Ontario, Guelph; Neil Conway, Royal Holloway, Tina Kiefer, Warwick Business School

"Applying event system theory to organizational change: The importance of everyday positive and negative events"

Outstanding Article Award - Practitioner Oriented:

Jingqiu Chen, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Dana R. Vashdi, University of Haifa, Qingyue Fan, Shanghai University of Business and Economics, Peter A. Bamberger, Tel Aviv University, Gilad Chen, University of Maryland

"The relative effects of design thinking versus after-action review on team performance: An experiential/episodic team learning perspective"

Rupert F. Chisholm Best Theory-to-Practice Paper Award:

Steven H. Cady, Bowling Green State Univ.; Shawn M. Otto, Enterprise Transformation

Best Paper Based on a Dissertation Award:

Gaomin Liu, RMIT University, Glenn Hoetker, Melbourne Business School

"Broadening Our Lens: Four Theoretical Perspectives on Industry Incubation"

Best Doctoral Student Paper:

Khang Hoàng Lê, RMIT Univ. of Vietnam; Giang Truong Hoang, National Univ. of Singapore

"When Groups Enable Change: Identity Leadership and the Dynamics of Creativity and Innovation"

Best Reviewer Award:

Feigu Zhou, University of Montevallo

Service Awards:

Michael Jarrett, INSEAD; Danny Montfort, Nyenrode Business University; Laura Fey, Leuphana University Lüneburg

ODC Distinguished Scholar Address

Time and Location: Monday, 6:00-7:00 pm

Program Chair: James Vardamon, Memphis University

Distinguished Scholar: Tom Lawrence, University of Oxford

Sponsoring Division: Organization Development and Change

Organization Development and Change Social!!

Beers at AOM! Time and Location: Monday, 7:00-8:00 pm

Hosts:

Michael Jarrett, INSEAD
Jody Hoffer Gittell, Brandeis University
James Vardaman, Memphis University
Richard Hall, Monash University

Join the Organization Development and Change Division to celebrate our last night together in Philadelphia! We are thrilled to be hosting the ODC Social on Monday evening following Tom Lawrence's Distinguished Scholar Address.

We will announce the awards there once again and offer a toast of congratulations. We will be serving drinks and appetizers.

We will be close to good restaurants in the City Hall neighborhood for people who want to go out for dinner afterwards.

Sponsoring Division: Organization Development and Change

Tuesday, August 4

Healthcare Management and Human Well-Being in a Turbulent Era

Time and Location: Tuesday, 9:45-10:15 am, Sheraton in Salon 10

Organizers:

Amanda Brewster, University of California Berkeley
Jody Hoffer Gittell, Brandeis University
Victoria Parker, University of New Hampshire

Panelists:

Rachel Gifford, Maastricht University
Ariel Avgar, Cornell University
Lawton R Burns, University of Pennsylvania
Sara Singer, Stanford University

In this turbulent era, healthcare organizations face many pressures, some that differ from country to country and many that are shared across countries. This symposium will examine the dilemmas facing healthcare managers and possible strategies for addressing them. The symposium will focus on three topics: the healthcare workforce, healthcare systems and the people they serve, and healthcare payment models and policies. The presenters will share their thinking on these dilemmas and facilitate a discussion of how healthcare managers can be supported in pursuing human well-being during increasingly turbulent times.

Sponsoring Divisions: Health Care Management; Organization Development and Change; Organizational Behavior