BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam//NONSGML v1.0//EN
NAME:ABRI Lunch Seminar Paolo Aversa
METHOD:PUBLISH
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART:20260417T120000
DTEND:20260417T130000
DTSTAMP:20260417T120000
UID:ABRI Lunch Seminar Paolo Avers@8F96275E-9F55-4B3F-A143-836282E12573
CREATED:20260924T210546
LOCATION:Main Building, 1105, HG-10A28, De Boelelaan, 1081 HV, Amsterdam
SUMMARY:ABRI Lunch Seminar Paolo Aversa
X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html: We are happy to invi
te you to the ABRI Lunch Seminar "Before and beyond AI: Investigating
digital phenomena to advance management research" by Prof. Paolo Ave
rsa (King's Business School, King's College London, UK) organized by
ABRI and the M&O Department.
The seminar will take pla
ce on Friday, April 17th, from 12:00 to 13:00 (HG-10A28). You can fin
d more information below.
This is a lunch seminar; please regi
ster your attendance by accepting/declining your emailed invitation b
y Monday, April 13th at the latest (for catering).
Abs
tract
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 jo
urnals due to a limited theoretical contribution. This editorial addr
esses a central question: how can the study of digital technologies a
dvance management theory rather than merely describe novel empirical
contexts? We distinguish between theory about digital—conceptualiza
tions tightly anchored in digital-specific phenomena such as platform
s, ecosystems, or remote work—and theory from digital, which levera
ges digital settings to revisit and extend broader theories of innova
tion, sustainability, leadership, and organization. Building on estab
lished principles of theorizing, we argue that strong contributions s
tem not from techno-centrism but from using digital phenomena as lens
es to refine enduring theoretical conversations. To guide scholars, w
e propose four “golden tests” for structuring contributions: nove
lty, generalizability, robustness, and usefulness (descriptive, presc
riptive, and normative). We then outline promising avenues for theori
zing from digital in the domains of innovation, sustainability, and l
eadership. Ultimately, we advocate a mindset that views digital techn
ologies not as ends in themselves, but as catalysts for theoretical a
dvancement that remains valuable before AI, engages meaningfully with
AI, and endures beyond it.
DESCRIPTION: We are happy to invite you to the ABRI Lunch Seminar "Bef
ore and beyond AI: Investigating digital phenomena to advance managem
ent research" by Prof. Paolo Aversa (King's Business School, King's C
ollege London, UK) organized by ABRI and the M&O Department. The
seminar will take place on Friday, April 17th, from 12:00 to 13:00 (H
G-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 pr
ominently artificial intelligence (AI)—have triggered an unpreceden
ted surge of interest in management research. Yet, while submissions
on digital phenomena have skyrocketed, many fail to clear the editori
al desk of leading journals due to a limited theoretical contribution
. This editorial addresses a central question: how can the study of d
igital technologies advance management theory rather than merely desc
ribe novel empirical contexts? We distinguish between theory about di
gital—conceptualizations tightly anchored in digital-specific pheno
mena such as platforms, ecosystems, or remote work—and theory from
digital, which leverages digital settings to revisit and extend broad
er theories of innovation, sustainability, leadership, and organizati
on. Building on established principles of theorizing, we argue that s
trong contributions stem not from techno-centrism but from using digi
tal phenomena as lenses to refine enduring theoretical conversations.
To guide scholars, we propose four “golden tests” for structurin
g contributions: novelty, generalizability, robustness, and usefulnes
s (descriptive, prescriptive, and normative). We then outline promisi
ng avenues for theorizing from digital in the domains of innovation,
sustainability, and leadership. Ultimately, we advocate a mindset tha
t views digital technologies not as ends in themselves, but as cataly
sts for theoretical advancement that remains valuable before AI, enga
ges meaningfully with AI, and endures beyond it.
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END:VCALENDAR