The Academy of Management Annual Meeting: Discussions on workers roles, AI
The 2023 Academy of Management (AoM) Annual Meeting — which was held in Boston, Massachusetts, from Aug. 4 to 8 — was the first entirely in-person meeting since the pandemic started. (The 2020 meeting was canceled, the 2021 one was held virtually, and the 2022 one was held in hybrid mode.) Although I had attended the 2021 and 2022 meetings, I was eager to be with about 10,000 of my fellow business academics once again. With over 2,300 sessions, the Annual Meeting is the world’s premier event for scholarly engagement, and the largest gathering of management and organization scholars worldwide.
This year’s theme, “Putting the Worker Front and Center,” signified a profound shift in perspective that acknowledges that organizations are not just profit-driven machines but also social systems comprising human beings. Traditionally, management scholarship focuses on executives, managers, and professionals and the issues important to them, such as leadership, team effectiveness, governance, innovation, network facilitation, organizational identity, resilience, and transformation. However, as AoM’s Vice-President and Program Chair of this year’s meeting, Peter Bamberger of Tel Aviv University, said, “The 2023 theme calls for our community to rebalance our attention, and pivot towards those at the very core of productive enterprise, namely the workers.”
I was invited to join a Professional Development Workshop (PDW) on Fostering International Education and Research Collaborations with Underrepresented Nations. I shared how I had introduced my students to the Sustainability Mindset Principles, a framework for viewing the world to make decisions based on the triple bottom line of people, planet, and profit, in the course Sustainable Management. Being exposed to various teaching pedagogies, including case method, experiential learning, and reflection, our students shift their thinking and experience a deeper connection to and caring for others and their planet. Reading their reflection journals, I found emergent themes that showed the students’ development. The students’ words showed their increased appreciation of how complex economic, environmental, and social issues are integral to the business landscape. They are optimistic about a future in which they will lead their organizations and care for their people in their quest for a more sustainable future.
During this PDW, I was touched by the story of a scholar from Africa whose country entices foreign direct investment by setting a maximum wage for factory workers. Since higher labor rates have driven the sweatshops that were once in Asia to Africa, he lamented the failure of both businesses and his government to put the workers front and center. Instead, these institutions contribute to the continued exploitation of workers, especially women, in underdeveloped nations.
While I usually attend sessions focusing on sustainability and spirituality, the continuing debate on using Artificial Intelligence (AI) drew me to several AI forums. One session, “AI, Ethics, and Academia,” weighed in on the debate regarding the transformation that AI brings to the classroom. Here are some arguments for and against the use of AI. First is academic rigor. Those who advocate banning AI in the classroom argue that it would prevent students who lack knowledge in the subject matter from simply showcasing their ability to use AI well and would instead offer them the opportunity to develop their knowledge and skills. In contrast, those who advocate unrestricted AI use argue that students will learn new knowledge and skills, such as creating effective prompts or checking AI’s accuracy.
The second argument is fulfilling curiosity and creativity. On one hand, banning AI use pushes students to come up with unique viewpoints and to think critically. On the other hand, encouraging AI’s use will allow students to ask ChatGPT questions they may be too uncomfortable to ask their professors and be their “learning partner.”
A third argument is real-world application. A ban on AI use will allow students to develop the ability and confidence to think and write for themselves, skills needed for the workplace of the future. However, unrestricted use of AI may develop in students new skills learned through ChatGPT that can enhance their personal lives and job endeavors.
While the debate continues, some preliminary prescriptions offered by the presenters include strong prompts for questions for homework assignments and online tests; oral assignments and examinations; and suggestions on the role ChatGPT should have for a particular task. Some roles include Socratic Opponent, Collaboration Coach, Personal Tutor, and Study Buddy.
I have returned from the annual meeting refreshed and enthusiastic about the new academic year of teaching, research, and outreach. The five days in August allowed me to meet and renew ties with fellow academics, to listen as they disseminated knowledge addressing the 21st century’s most pressing issues, and to enjoy the food and history of Boston. Next year’s conference will be in Chicago, with the theme, “Innovating for the Future.” I am hoping more Filipinos will attend so that they can have the opportunity to interact with thousands of like-minded AoM members and colleagues from around the world.
Pia T. Manalastas is a faculty member of the Department of Management and Organization of De La Salle University. She teaches Sustainability Management, Integral Human Development, and Lasallian Business Leadership with Ethics and CSR.
