The seminar will take place on Friday, April 17th, from 12:00 to 13:00 (HG-10A28). You can find more information below.
This is a lunch seminar; please register your attendance by accepting/declining your emailed invitation by Monday, April 13th at the latest (for catering).
Abstract
Digital technologies—most prominently artificial intelligence (AI)—have triggered an unprecedented surge of interest in management research. Yet, while submissions on digital phenomena have skyrocketed, many fail to clear the editorial desk of leading journals due to a limited theoretical contribution. This editorial addresses a central question: how can the study of digital technologies advance management theory rather than merely describe novel empirical contexts? We distinguish between theory about digital—conceptualizations tightly anchored in digital-specific phenomena such as platforms, ecosystems, or remote work—and theory from digital, which leverages digital settings to revisit and extend broader theories of innovation, sustainability, leadership, and organization. Building on established principles of theorizing, we argue that strong contributions stem not from techno-centrism but from using digital phenomena as lenses to refine enduring theoretical conversations. To guide scholars, we propose four “golden tests” for structuring contributions: novelty, generalizability, robustness, and usefulness (descriptive, prescriptive, and normative). We then outline promising avenues for theorizing from digital in the domains of innovation, sustainability, and leadership. Ultimately, we advocate a mindset that views digital technologies not as ends in themselves, but as catalysts for theoretical advancement that remains valuable before AI, engages meaningfully with AI, and endures beyond it.
ABRI Lunch Seminar Paolo Aversa 17 April 2026 12:00 - 13:00
About ABRI Lunch Seminar Paolo Aversa
Starting date
- 17 April 2026
Time
- 12:00 - 13:00
Location
- HG-10A28
- HG-10A28
Address
- De Boelelaan 1105
- 1081 HV Amsterdam
Organised by
- ABRI and the M&O Department
Language
- English
Biography Paolo Aversa
Paolo Aversa is Professor of Strategy at King’s Business School, King’s College London, where he serves as Research Lead for the Department of Strategy, International Management and Entrepreneurship. He is also Adjunct Professor at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania where he teaches at the Global EMBA and the Jonas Person Visiting Professor of Strategy at the Stockholm School of Economics. His research focuses on innovation and the evolution of industries and ecosystems. His investigations concentrate on technology-intensive settings to explore radical solutions, digital transformation and business models. He is globally known as the leading academic expert in the motorsport and Formula 1 industry. Through the years he emerged as one of the leading scholars in the use of sport data to advance management theories, and the use of historical methods in management research. His work is published in leading academic journals such as the Academy of Management Journal, Organization Science, Academy of Management Annals, Journal of Management, Research Policy, Journal of Management Studies, and practice-oriented outlets such as Harvard Business Review and MIT Sloan Management Review. Paolo serves as an Associate Editor at the Journal of Management Studies, on the editorial review board at Organization Science and Academy of Management Discoveries, for which he also served as guest editor. Within the Academy of Management he is the Director of Communications and an appointed officer of the Strategic Management (STR) Division and Elected Representative at Large of the Technology and Innovation Management (TIM) Division. He is a Senior Fellow of Higher Education. His research was funded by various public and private institutions including EPSRC and the European Commission (Marie-Curie Individual Fellowship) and received several awards and accolades internationally for his research and teaching, among which the Knighthood of the Start of Italy (OSI) from the Presidency of Italy.