Almost immediately after returning from Scout Camp, I took off for the annual meeting of the Academy of Management in New Orleans. New Orleans in August? Well, with over 7,000 attendees, they needed a convention city, and it's hard to top New Orleans for hotel space. Regulars at this meeting call it "The Academy." This sounds a bit presumptuous to us outsiders, but as long as we understand each other, I suppose it's all right.

One thing became clear to me immediately: people do not attend the Academy to learn from the sessions; they attend the Academy to network. (This is not unlike the annual meeting of law professors at the Association of American Law Schools annual meeting, which is held each January. Coincidentally, New Orleans will host the meeting next year.)

Most sessions had barely more people in the audience than presenting. And after attending a few sessions, I could understand why: the presentations were clipped, ill-designed if the purpose was to engage in meaningful scholarly exchange. Most presentations were limited to three or four PowerPoint slides. Enough to spark an interest, but not enough for real learning.

Alongside the meeting, Ph.D candidates were interviewing for jobs. The candidates were usually easy to spot: they were wearing suits and that anxious smile like a high school kid at his first dance. Many of the candidates has 10, 15, 20, or more interviews, so it looked like an extended torture. I am happy to be on this side of the desk.

Entrepreneurship | Bookmark

TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.typepad.com/services/trackback/6a00d8345157d569e200d835437eac69e2

Links to weblogs that reference The Academy: