Navigating the Future: Innovation, Resilience, and Sustainability in Business

This academic conference explores how businesses can thrive in an era of rapid change by embracing adaptability, ethical innovation, and sustainability. Through discussions on dynamic ecosystems, responsible AI, impact investing, and cultural wisdom, the conference fosters a holistic approach to strategic decision-making—one that balances profitability with social and environmental responsibility. Attendees will gain insights into building resilient enterprises, engaging stakeholders,and leveraging innovation for a sustainable and inclusive future.

Theme Tracks

• Dynamic Business Ecosystems

This track invites papers that focuses on how organizations thrive through collaboration,innovation, and adaptability in fast-changing environments. This theme track examines the interconnected nature of modern businesses, where value is co-created across industries through strategic partnerships, platforms, and emerging technologies. Attendees will explore real-world examples and practical strategies for navigating complexity, fostering agility, and leveraging ecosystems for sustainable growth. Ideal for leaders and changemakers, this track offers insights into building resilient and future-ready business networks.

• Innovating with Purpose

This track invites papers that focuses on creating meaningful, impact-driven innovation that addresses real-world challenges. This theme track explores how businesses can align innovation with values, sustainability, and social responsibility to drive long-term success. Through case studies, expert insights, and collaborative discussions, attendees will learn how to embed purpose into innovation strategies, products, and services. Ideal for leaders, entrepreneurs, and changemakers, this track empowers organizations to innovate not just for profit—but for people, communities, and the planet.

• Entrepreneurship in a Changing World

This track invites papers that explores how entrepreneurs can navigate and thrive amid global uncertainty, technological disruption, and shifting societal needs. This theme track highlights adaptive strategies, resilient mindsets, and innovative approaches to building and scaling ventures in dynamic environments. Through real-world stories, expert panels, and interactive sessions, participants will gain tools to seize emerging opportunities and tackle modern challenges. Perfect for founders, startups, and innovators, this track inspires bold, future- focused entrepreneurship in an ever-evolving landscape.

• Ethical AI and Digital Transformation

This track invites papers that examines the intersection of technology, responsibility, and innovation in a rapidly digitizing world. This theme track explores how organizations can harness the power of AI and digital tools while upholding ethical standards, transparency, and human-centric values. Topics include bias in algorithms, responsible data use, and the societal impacts of emerging technologies. Ideal for tech leaders, policymakers, and innovators, this track offers guidance on building trustworthy systems that drive progress while prioritizing fairness, inclusion, and accountability.

• Stakeholder Engagement and Shared Value Creation

This track invites papers that explores how organizations can build strong, collaborative relationships with stakeholders to drive mutual benefit and long-term success. This theme track focuses on strategies for inclusive decision-making, transparent communication, and aligning business goals with societal needs. Through case studies and expert insights, participants will learn how to co-create value with customers, employees, communities, and partners. Ideal for leaders and changemakers, this track emphasizes purpose-driven growth rooted in trust, collaboration, and sustainable impact.

• Impact Investing and Conscious Capitalism

This track invites papers that delves into financial strategies that prioritize both profit and positive social or environmental outcomes. This theme track highlights how investors and businesses can drive systemic change by aligning capital with purpose. Sessions explore innovative funding models, ESG integration, and the role of values-based leadership in shaping sustainable economies. Ideal for investors, entrepreneurs, and changemakers, this track offers practical insights into building a more equitable and resilient future through responsible investment and conscious business practices.

• Sustainable Business Models

This track invites papers that focuses on innovative approaches to building businesses that balance profitability with environmental and social responsibility. This theme track explores circular economy principles, regenerative practices, and long-term value creation strategies that prioritize people and the planet. Through case studies, expert insights, and actionable frameworks, participants will learn how to design and scale business models that are resilient, ethical, and future-ready. Ideal for leaders and entrepreneurs committed to sustainability, this track empowers organizations to thrive while making a positive impact.

• Cultural and Indigenous Wisdom in Business Strategy

This track invites papers that explores how traditional knowledge systems and cultural values can enrich modern business practices. This theme track highlights the importance of community, stewardship, and long-term thinking in shaping sustainable and inclusive strategies. Through storytelling, case studies, and dialogue, participants will discover how integrating Indigenous perspectives can foster innovation, resilience, and ethical leadership. Ideal for leaders seeking deeper connection and purpose, this track invites a reimagining of success rooted in respect, reciprocity, and cultural intelligence.

• Holistic Strategic Decision-Making

This track invites papers that focuses on considering the entire organization and its environment when making strategic decisions. It involves integrating insights from various departments, stakeholders, and external factors, ensuring decisions are well-rounded and sustainable. This approach goes beyond short-term gains, emphasizing long-term goals, risk management, and adaptability. By evaluating the broader context and interdependencies, leaders can align strategies with the company’s vision, optimize resource use, and enhance overall performance, fostering a comprehensive and balanced growth trajectory.

• Responsible Corporate Governance: Balancing Accountability, Ethics, and Long-Term Value

In an era of heightened scrutiny, corporate governance plays a crucial role in fostering trust, resilience, and long-term success. This track explores governance frameworks, ethical leadership, and regulatory best practices that align business objectives with societal and environmental responsibilities. Discussions will focus on transparency, board diversity, stakeholder accountability, and the role of governance in driving sustainable innovation. Additionally, this track will examine emerging governance challenges, including ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) integration, responsible executive decision-making, and the ethical implications of digital transformation. Attendees will gain insights into fostering a governance culture that balances profitability with ethical responsibility, ensuring organizations remain accountable to shareholders,employees, communities, and the planet.

General Tracks

• Competitive strategies

Market dynamics are crucial in understanding how firms compete in markets, as they increasingly aim for both economic performance and social value creation. Traditional competitive theories focus on standardized performance metrics, but the landscape becomes more complex as firms expand their definition to include social values. Research is needed to understand the market for social values, competition frameworks, value mechanisms, and the interplay of markets. By advancing theories, organizations can target economic performance and social value creation, enriching academic discourse and providing valuable frameworks for practitioners and policymakers.

• Corporate strategies

Corporate strategy, a fundamental aspect of strategic management, has evolved over the past three decades to encompass a wide range of topics related to multi-business, multilocational, and multinational firms. It includes markets for resource and corporate control, competition, contingencies, organizational structures, and non-market strategies for firms spanning economic and institutional boundaries.

• Entrepreneurship

The Entrepreneurship track seeks submissions on entrepreneurial strategies across various markets, geographies, and technological domains. The conference theme explores fault lines, divergences, and contradictions among strategic management paradigms. The aim is to stimulate intellectual cross- fertilization and understanding of entrepreneurial actors and their strategies. Questions include how different paradigms of entrepreneurship relate to each other, how venturing activities affect social trends, investing paradigms, and the impact of emerging technologies on entrepreneurial activities. The goal is to optimize entrepreneurial processes and create success within the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

• Strategy Process & Practice

The conference theme encourages submissions on the process of managing firms, coping with geopolitical forces, and managing headquarters-subsidiary relationships during global crises. The Interest Group encourages questions about corporate deals, purpose, and lessons from strategy process research. The conference aims to highlight the integrative role of strategy process research in managing contradictions, bridging silos, and uncovering synergies across strategic management paradigms.

Additionally, the Strategy Practice focuses on the role of strategists in strategy making, examining the various activities, methods, and tools employed by practitioners. The group seeks to address questions about the fault lines, contradictions, and divergences of strategic management, such as how practitioners adapt their established strategies in a rapidly polarized world, manage relationships with governments, and incorporate stakeholders in strategy-making. The group also explores the impact of AI on organizations' resources and capabilities, as well as the role of stakeholders in strategy making.

• Family Business

Family businesses play a crucial role in the global economy, balancing legacy, innovation, and sustainability across generations. This track explores the unique strategic challenges and opportunities faced by family-owned enterprises, including governance structures, succession planning, wealth management, and professionalization. Discussions will focus on how family firms adapt to market disruptions, integrate new technologies, and balance tradition with modern strategic practices. Additionally, the track will examine the role of family values in shaping business resilience, stakeholder relationships, and long-term value creation. By addressing issues such as leadership transitions, conflict resolution, and intergenerational entrepreneurship, this track aims to provide insights into sustaining competitive advantage and ensuring the longevity of family businesses in an evolving business landscape.

• Business cases for classroom teaching

The Business Cases track invites submissions that provide in-depth examinations of real-world strategic challenges faced by organizations. This track focuses on the application of strategic management theories to practical business scenarios, offering insights into decision-making processes, competitive positioning, and organizational transformations. Researchers and practitioners are encouraged to present case studies that analyze firm-level strategies, industry disruptions, market entry and exit decisions, corporate governance challenges, and strategic pivots in response to evolving economic, social, and geopolitical conditions. The aim is to bridge the gap between theory and practice by fostering discussions on lessons learned, best practices, and innovative approaches that can inform both academic research and managerial decision-making.