Call for Papers

The 2nd international conference on Owners as Strategists aims to bring together a community of scholars interested in research on firm ownership, strategy, and governance to address the overarching question about the role of ownership for firm strategy and governance, particularly in the digital era. The wide empirical relevance of the phenomenon and the lack of pertinent theorizing on the role of ownership in a digitalized world suggest there is substantial promise for the development of an ownership perspective in strategic management.

For the 2022 edition of our conference, we put a special emphasis on submissions related to the topics of firm ownership in a digital world (Theme Track), but equally welcome papers that addresses the fundamental questions about the strategic role of ownership (General Track). Below you find a brief description of the tracks.

The full Call for Papers can be downloaded here.

Special Track: Ownership in a digital world

New technological advancements, such as blockchain, artificially intelligence (AI), big data, machine learning and open platforms, provide new methods of contracting that may alter long-standing assumptions about the boundaries of firms and how we organize collaboration. Technological solutions also equip owners with greater choice over when and to which degree they rely on agents to manage their firms or on third parties, such as board directors or auditors, to control their firms. Similarly, new technologies may allow certification of ownership and the protection of related rights that may support the emergence for markets for assets that were so far not easily tradable. New technologies also have the potential to fundamentally change how firms compete and open up new sources of competitive advantage for firms. Far from being exhaustive, we invite paper submissions on these and related topics that advance our understanding of how new technologies shape firm ownership, strategy and governance.

General Track: Rethinking firm ownership

Firms with dominant owners play a pivotal role across the world. However, our knowledge about how these firms operate is still underdeveloped. A strategic ownership perspective acknowledges that ownership implies control over the firm and its resources, and gives owners the right to decide how value is created. It overcomes prevailing assumptions about the separation of ownership and control and owner homogeneity that dominate our understanding of strategic management and corporate governance today. These considerations motivate a host of important questions that reflect an overall unease about our current understanding on the role of ownership for the strategic management and success of firms. We invite paper submissions on these and related topics that advance our understanding of how firm owners shape firm value creation, strategy and governance.

To submit click here.

Paper Submissions

We seek submissions of rigorous academic papers that have the potential for publication in top tier journals and that are aligned with the themes of the conference. Presenters will have the opportunity to receive feedback from leading scholars and participate in the conference. By submitting a paper, you commit to presenting it online on June 21, 2022, upon invitation.

We seek complete submissions (40 pages max, double-space, 12pt font, one-inch margins) of papers that demonstrate novelty, sound theory, and rigorous research design, with the potential of making important contributions to the field. Submitted papers should include a title page with the paper’s title, listing all authors and their affiliations, specifying keywords, and an abstract of up to 125 words. Submitted papers should not be already published or accepted for publication at the time of submission.

University of St.Gallen, Switzerland

Contact: info@strategicownership.com

General Legal Information

Call for Papers

Important Dates

Special Track: Ownership in a digital world

General Track: Rethinking firm ownership

Paper Submissions