AoM 2026 PDW: Geography, Space, and Entrepreneurship
We're excited to announce our Paper Development Workshop (PDW) for the AOM 2026 Annual Meeting, exploring the impact of geography and space on entrepreneurship.
Management scholarship on geography, space, and entrepreneurship has drawn on multiple theoretical traditions, which can be in tension. Some theories of regional agglomeration suggest that businesses cluster for efficiency while others suggest that agglomeration is the result of social structures and entrepreneurial life cycles. Space can be stigmatized and imbued with meaning by its inhabitants, and it can also be generalized through configurations of network ties. What does each of these perspectives bring to studies of entrepreneurship? How might they shed light on new areas of interest? And are they unifiable? In the first part of the PDW, leading scholars will discuss emerging phenomena and opportunities that arise by approaching these phenomena with diverse theoretical paradigms. Discussants will also provide developmental feedback on participants' research ideas and extended abstracts.
When: TBD
📍 What to Expect
Our PDW will consist of a panel and paper workshop roundtable. We aim to bring together scholars across organizational theory, entrepreneurship, strategy, and technology and innovation management.
Part 1: Panel Discussion (Open to All – No Pre-registration Required)
Join an exceptional group of scholars as they share diverse theoretical and methodological approaches to studying the geography of entrepreneurship. We'll spotlight new research, highlight promising directions, and offer practical tips for navigating the review process. Audience Q&A to follow.
Part 2: Interactive Roundtables (Pre-registration Required)
For attendees seeking personalized feedback, we're hosting roundtable sessions to discuss your work-in-progress ideas. Submit a 2-page extended abstract (with in-text references only) by July 15 for a chance to engage directly with panelists and peers. We welcome topics including but not limited the roles of:
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Physical environment: such as weather, infrastructure, or roads
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Social structure and local networks: such as founder networks and social capital
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Technology: such as platforms and dominant paradigms
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Stigma and identity: such as local meanings, spatial segregation, or entrepreneurial positioning
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Local opportunity structures: such as labor markets and alternatives
Chairs:
Grady Raines (Bloomington) & Victoria Zhang (Notre Dame)
Panelists:
Stefan Dimitriadis, University of Toronto
Sunasir Dutta, University of Minnesota
Maria Roche, Harvard Business School
Laura Dupin, University of Amsterdam Business School
Jorge Guzman, Columbia Business School
Bryan Stroube, University of Kentucky
We are looking forward to an exciting conversation and discussion!
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Victoria Zhang
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge MA
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