We are pleased to invite submissions for an upcoming PDW at the Academy of Management Annual Meeting focused on advancing research on hype in organizational settings.
Hype, defined as collective visions and expectations about possible futures, has become a critical force shaping how innovations emerge, how organizations gain legitimacy, and how resources are mobilized under uncertainty. While prior research has largely conceptualized hype through cyclical models (e.g., the Gartner hype cycle), hype may operate in more complex, multidimensional ways across audiences, time, and institutional contexts.
Through a two-part PDW, including a panel and a paper workshop roundtable, we aim to bring together scholars across entrepreneurship, organizational theory, strategy, and technology & innovation management to rethink hype as a core organizational process rather than a temporary anomaly.
- Panelists: Ryan Raffaelli (Harvard School of Business), Dan Wadhwani (University of Southern California), Tyler Wry (Wharton School of Business), Jeffrey York (University of Colorado Boulder)
- Roundtable discussants: Daniel Armanios (Oxford), Chad Carlos (Brigham Young University), Jake Grandy (University of Arkansas), Shon Hiatt (University of Southern California), Liz Hood (University of Southern California), Brandon Lee (Melbourne Business School), Mae McDonnell (Wharton School of Business)
For our paper workshop, we invite submissions that engage with (but are not limited to) the following themes:
- Rethinking different dimensions and trajectories of hype beyond cyclical models
- Organizational collapse, adaptation, and reentry in the aftermath of hype
- Variation in audience interpretations and social evaluations of hype
- The role of hype in mobilizing action around grand challenges
- Strategies for navigating hype and resetting expectations over time
We welcome early-stage ideas, working papers, and projects in development. Submissions will be used to facilitate a developmental roundtable session, where participants will receive feedback from panelists and peers.
Submission requirements:
- A brief extended abstract (2–3 pages) outlining your research question, theoretical framing, and (if applicable) empirical context
- Your CV
Deadline: Please upload your submissions here by June 15th 11:59 pm PST
We encourage submissions from doctoral students and early-career scholars, as well as those working across varying empirical contexts (e.g., AI, climate tech, healthcare, entrepreneurship, etc.). Please reach out to Tiffany Yau at yaut@marshall.usc.edu if you have any questions.
We look forward to building insightful conversations around hype and its implications for organizational research and practice.
All the best,
Tiffany Yau and Shon Hiatt
University of Southern California, Marshall School of Business
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