The 2027Annual Conference of the Academic Association for Organizational Science

 

We are pleased to announce that the 2027 Annual Conference of the Organizational Science Society will be held as follows. We sincerely hope that many members will participate.

Date: October 24–25, 2026

Host Institution: Hitotsubashi University

Venue: Hitotsubashi Hall, Chiyoda Campus (within the National Center of Sciences Building)

 

The theme of this year’s conference is: “Management and Organizations Facing the Challenges of a Multipolar Global Economy.”

In recent years, geopolitical tensions have intensified, including the Russia–Ukraine war, Israel’s military operations in Gaza, escalating confrontations involving the United States, Israel, and Iran, and the deterioration of Japan–China relations. As a result, the business environment surrounding firms operating across borders has become increasingly complex, requiring decision-making and organizational responses that cannot be addressed by conventional approaches.

This year’s theme reflects our shared concern over how corporate management and organizational systems should respond to such profound environmental changes. Structural shifts—such as geopolitical risks, economic security, and the reconfiguration of global production networks—are prompting fundamental reconsideration not only of strategy but also of organizational design, human resource management, and governance.

For the first keynote lecture, we will welcome Mr. Eiji Hashimoto, Chairman of Nippon Steel Corporation, who will speak on the theme “Management Reform at Nippon Steel and Lessons from the Acquisition of U.S. Steel.” He will discuss the key elements of the management reforms that led Nippon Steel to a rapid turnaround within two years of his appointment, as well as the company’s efforts toward reclaiming its position as the world’s leading steel manufacturer, achieved amid a highly complex international political and economic environment.

For the second keynote lecture, Professor Kenneth G. Huang of the National University of Singapore will deliver a talk titled “Innovation Management in the Age of AI and Geopolitical Disruption.” He will present recent research on innovation management, with particular attention to how firms are advancing AI adoption and innovation strategies in an era marked by strengthened U.S. sanctions and tighter regulations on foreign investment and acquisitions.

Rapid technological advances—exemplified by generative AI—are fundamentally reshaping the assumptions underlying traditional management, organizational structures, and human resource practices. In times of such dramatic change, the value of academic research that offers broad, long-term perspectives becomes even more significant. At the same time, the extent to which academic insights can contribute to real-world management and organizational practice is being reexamined.

With these issues in mind, this year’s conference—held at Hitotsubashi University, an institution with a long tradition as a center of practical scholarship—will actively foster dialogue bridging academic research and managerial practice. The international session, introduced at the 2025 Annual Conference, will also be further expanded.

Chair of the Conference,

Yaichi Aoshima