Intersections is the main topic of the next Sinergie Sima Management Conference in Palermo

An intersection is “the point where two things come together and have an effect on each other”. This is the definition provided by the Cambridge Business English Dictionary. The same definition has offered inspiration for the design of the 2021 conference organized by SIMA, Sinergie and University of Palermo.

Indeed, a multiperspective approach is needed to generate impactful new knowledge in the field of management studies. The legitimacy of management scholars in society increasingly rests on their ability to create social and economic value by finding solutions and offering effective and timely guidance to leaders in firms and institutions. This is especially true in face of the extraordinary economic, societal, health and environmental challenges firms and governments are currently tackling worldwide also as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In parallel, management practitioners are increasingly urged to adopt wide-ranging strategies able to pursue a multi-dimensional notion of firm performance; a concept that extends beyond technical and economic dimensions to embrace a larger set of issues, such as sustainability and societal impact.

Challenges such as these are too complex to be captured by any one perspective. In order to shed light on the multifaceted phenomena that underlie firm performance and societal advancement, research is spurred to knowledgeably compare and leverage contributions that may derive from adopting different disciplinary, theoretical and methodological perspectives, as well as by considering different levels of analysis. Furthermore, there is the fundamental need to anchor such scholarly enquiry to concerns of interest for the world of practice.

Anchoring research questions to real-world phenomena allow to appreciate and grasp their multiple dimensions and manifestations. Conscious pluralism and the intentional comparison of the relative contributions offered by different disciplines, theories, methods and levels of analysis offer a way forward for the comprehension of relevant phenomena for management scholars. Though not simple, there is relevant potential to generate sound and impactful research by purposefully leveraging intersections between different perspectives in the field of management to study phenomena of interest also to practitioners.

Our 2021 conference will bring together the Italian community of management scholars to present and discuss their research in a collaborative and friendly environment. The University of Palermo will be the local host and organizer. Please save the date of 10 and 11 june and stay connected for more details!