Smith School Professors Honored by Academy of Management

Smith School faculty took center stage at this years Academy of Management conference, the largest annual gathering of management scholars in the world, held August 11 through 16 in Atlanta. Professor Ken G. Smith took over as president of the academy, and Professor Kay Bartol was selected as the 2006 recipient of the Academy of Managements Distinguished Service Award, one of the highest honors bestowed on members. Professor Emeritus Ed Locke also was honored with the Distinguished Scholarly Contributions Award and marketing professor Rebecca Ratner won an award for a published paper.

Smiths one-year term as president runs through July 2007. He was officially elected in April. As president he is responsible for setting and implementing a strategic agenda for the organization, with the help of a six-member executive committee and 14-member Board of Governors. Smith also is responsible for operational aspects of the academy's New York headquarters office. The academy has a variety of regional and international partners as well.

Some of Smiths priorities as president include working with the board to implement a new code of ethics; broaden the publishing mandate; increase services to members in the form of scholarships, grants and new innovations; and develop a strategy to leverage members research expertise and capability to influence the practice of management in both public and private organizations.

The academy is a wonderful organization composed of 24 divisions and interest groups run largely by volunteers. Most members view the organization as their professional home and although it is a very large organization, the divisional structure allows members to experience many great friendships and opportunities for professional development, Smith said. This is my second experience on the Board. My first, was when I was editor of the Academy of Management Review. It is a wonderful group of scholars, all of whom are dedicated to enhancing the profession of management.

Bartol's prestigious academy-wide award recognizes excellence in developing and enhancing a field of study; founding or creatively editing a journal; and/or building institutions, such as through creative or unusually effective service to a major professional organization. She is a past president of the Academy of Management, as well as past dean of the fellows of the academy.

I am honored to receive this major recognition from my professional colleagues, Bartol said. I am very fortunate that my colleagues have afforded me opportunities for leadership positions in which I could make a difference. My gratitude goes to the many members of the Academy of Management who have helped in countless ways and who are actually deserving of the recognition for whatever we have been able to accomplish together.

Locke, former chair of Smiths management and organization department, was recognized with the annually presented Distinguished Service Award for his significant scholarly contributions that have advanced management and organizational knowledge and practice, including conceptual, theoretical or empirical developments of significant impact. 
After more than 44 years of doing research, it is a great honor to be recognized in this manner, Locke said.

Ratner, associate professor of marketing, won the award for Most Influential Paper in Conflict Management from 1998 2001, Conflict Management Division, Academy of Management. Her paper, The Disparity Between the Actual and Assumed Power of Self-Interest, was published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology in 1998.

The Academy of Management is the largest professional association of management in the world. It has a broad scholarship agenda including knowledge creation and dissemination through our annual meeting and with the publication of four main journals. The academy also produces an annual review series and hosts a variety of online publishing efforts in progress.