Prestigious Leadership Tracks at the Academy of Management (AOM) beckon for two faculty members from Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University (RSM). Members of the AOM, the professional association for management and organisation scholars worldwide, have elected RSM’s Dr Bex Hewett, Associate Professor of Human Resource Management and Prof. Pursey Heugens, Professor of Organization Theory, Development, and Change to begin the officer track trajectory towards Division Chair.
Both RSM faculty members have been elected to the division officer track; Dr Bex Hewett for the HR division of the Academy of Management, and Prof. Pursey Heugens for the Organisation and Management Theory division. These are highly prestigious elected positions, voted for by members of their respective divisions from around the world.
The trajectories for Bex and Pursey begin in 2027 with the position of Professional Development Workshop Chair, which means planning the interactive and developmental workshops for the annual conference their respective divisions for top academics in the field. They then progress to Program Chair, responsible for organising the primary sessions and scholarly schedule for the Academy of Management’s annual meeting. This is followed by Chair-Elect, responsible for assisting in operational leadership; then Chair, who acts as the principal executive of that division of the Academy of Management; and Past Division Chair which is an advisory role to ensure continuity. In the HR Division Bex will stay on for a sixth year as Strategy Lead, responsible for special projects.
Workplaces in times of challenges
Bex Hewett said: “The HR division represents a great diversity of scholars across different disciplines and countries. Workplaces have a critical role to play amid current global challenges, and the activities of HR division members shape our ability to face up to these challenges. I am excited to take on this role while AOM is thinking creatively about what it means to be international, bringing challenges and opportunities for how we meet a wide range of member needs.”
Mobilising thinkers
Pursey Heugens said: “Organisation and Management Theory has always been ‘the place to be’ for a very diverse body of scholars, even when the AOM was still closer to its US-based roots. The world of management and organisations is confronted with tremendous ecological, technological, and political shocks in the present moment, so we need to mobilise thinkers from everywhere to meet these challenges. It is early days, but if I am to have an agenda, it will be one of inclusion.”
Work making lives better
Bex’s work is driven by a passionate belief that work should make people's lives better. Her research focuses on how work and employment can be designed to benefit the lives of workers whilst achieving organisational goals. Bex is currently looking at people management in self-managing organisations and is Research Lead of the People and Self-Managing Organisations project. Her research has been published in journals including Journal of Management, Journal of Management Studies, Human Relations, Human Resource Management Review and Human Resource Management and in global media outlets. Bex is director of part-time doctoral education at the Erasmus Research Institute of Management and Associate Editor of Human Resource Management Review. Bex is an over-enthusiastic conference attendee and loves meeting new people over a glass of good red wine. She is also known by her roller derby alter ego, Hannibal Lecturer, as coach of Rotterdam Roller Derby’s A team.
Understanding overlooked organisations
Pursey’s research interests involve understanding the strategy and governance of organisational forms that are often overlooked like state-owned enterprises, craft producers, family firms, business groups, professional partnerships, and inclusive entrepreneurial ventures, as well as understanding how the behaviors of these organisations are conditioned by formal and informal institutions. Pursey has been an Associate Editor at the Academy of Management Journal, Academy of Management Annals, Academy of Management Perspectives, and the Journal of Management. He loves working with doctoral students, and sees his contributions to their intellectual growth and personal flourishing as his greatest scholary achievement. When the work is done, Pursey enjoys bike riding, cooking, and travel with his family.
- More information
Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University (RSM) is one of Europe’s top-ranked business schools. RSM provides ground-breaking research and education furthering excellence in all aspects of management and is based in the international port city of Rotterdam – a vital nexus of business, logistics and trade. RSM’s primary focus is on developing business leaders with international careers who can become a force for positive change by carrying their innovative mindset into a sustainable future. Our first-class range of bachelor, master, MBA, PhD and executive programmes encourage them to become critical, creative, caring and collaborative thinkers and doers. www.rsm.nl
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