Conference Tracks

Track 01: Complexity, Systems Thinking, and Strategic Foresight

As business environments become increasingly non-linear and interdependent, this track examines organizations as complex adaptive systems. Building on complexity theory and systems thinking, it explores how strategic foresight, scenario planning, and anticipatory governance support decision-making under deep uncertainty and long-term strategic alignment (Anderson, 1999; Holland, 2006; McKinley & Scherer, 2022; Rohrbeck & Kum, 2018).

Topics include:

• Complexity theory and non-linear dynamics in management
• Systems thinking and adaptive organizational design
• Strategic foresight, futures literacy, and scenario planning
• Decision-making under uncertainty and ambiguity
• Anticipatory governance and long-term strategic planning

Track 02: Leadership, Governance, and Decision-Making in Complex Environments

This track focuses on leadership and governance as sensemaking and relational processes rather than purely instrumental functions. In complex environments, leaders must navigate ethical dilemmas, competing stakeholder demands, and institutional pressures while enabling organizational adaptability and legitimacy (Weick, 1995; Maak & Pless, 2006; Snowden & Boone, 2007; Hoffmann & Waddock, 2022).

Topics include:

• Ethical, responsible, and purpose-driven leadership
• Executive sensemaking and cognitive frameworks
• Board governance in uncertain and volatile contexts
• Leadership for organizational transformation and resilience
• Power, trust, and accountability in complex systems

Track 03: Innovation, Digital Transformation, and Emerging Technologies

This track examines innovation and digital transformation as socio-technical processes embedded in organizational and institutional contexts. While emerging technologies such as AI and analytics reshape strategy and work, they also introduce new ethical, governance, and resilience challenges (Brynjolfsson & McAfee, 2014; Zuboff, 2019; Hanelt et al., 2021; Stigliani & Ravasi, 2021).

Topics include:

• Artificial intelligence, analytics, and algorithmic decision-making
• Digital transformation and technology-enabled business models
• Platform ecosystems and data-driven innovation
• Innovation management under disruption and uncertainty
• Responsible, human-centered, and inclusive innovation

Track 04: Sustainability, ESG, and Long-Term Value Creation

This track positions sustainability and ESG as strategic and systemic challenges rather than compliance-driven practices. Drawing on stakeholder theory and recent sustainability research, it examines how organizations integrate ESG considerations into governance, innovation, and foresight to support long-term value creation and resilience (Freeman et al., 2010; Bansal et al., 2021; George et al., 2021).

Topics include:

• ESG integration, reporting, and performance measurement
• Sustainable finance, impact investing, and foresight
• Climate risk, circular economy, and transition strategies
• Corporate purpose and stakeholder capitalism
• Sustainability-driven innovation and resilience

Track 05: Entrepreneurship, Start-Ups, and Innovation Ecosystems

Focusing on entrepreneurship under conditions of uncertainty and institutional complexity, this track explores how start-ups and innovation ecosystems emerge, adapt, and scale in volatile environments. Emphasis is placed on resilience-oriented entrepreneurship, ecosystem governance, and policy frameworks (Shepherd & Williams, 2020; Williams et al., 2021; George et al., 2021).

Topics include:

• Entrepreneurial responses to complexity and adversity
• Start-up resilience, scaling, and growth strategies
• Social, green, and impact entrepreneurship
• Innovation ecosystems, incubators, and accelerators
• Entrepreneurship policy and institutional frameworks

Track 06: Global Business, Geopolitics, and Societal Transformation

This track situates global business within shifting geopolitical, regulatory, and societal landscapes. Drawing on international business and institutional theory, it examines how firms navigate geopolitical risk, regulatory fragmentation, and cultural diversity while contributing to societal transformation (Danneels & Vestal, 2020; Bennett & Lemoine, 2020).

Topics include:

• Global value chains and geopolitical uncertainty
• Trade policy, regulation, and institutional complexity
• Cross-cultural management and comparative systems
• Diversity, equity, and inclusion in global organizations
• Business responsibility and societal transformation

Track 07: Family Entrepreneurship, Family Business, and Transgenerational Dynamics

This track explores family enterprises as long-term oriented and values-driven organizational forms operating across generations. Research highlights how socio-emotional wealth, governance structures, and succession processes shape innovation, resilience, and strategic renewal in family firms (Gómez-Mejía et al., 2007; Shepherd & Williams, 2020; Li et al., 2023).

Topics include:

• Family entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial orientation
• Governance structures and ownership dynamics
• Succession planning and leadership transition
• Innovation and digital transformation in family firms
• Socio-emotional wealth and long-term decision-making
• Sustainability, stewardship, and legacy creation

Track 08: Organizational Resilience, Crisis Management, and Business Continuity

In an era marked by systemic shocks and cascading crises, this track focuses on how organizations anticipate, absorb, and adapt to disruption. Emphasis is placed on resilience capabilities, foresight mechanisms, and strategic responses to volatility, integrating insights from crisis management and resilience research (Williams et al., 2021; Shepherd & Williams, 2020).

Topics include:

• Organizational resilience and adaptive capacity
• Crisis leadership and decision-making under pressure
• Risk intelligence and early-warning systems
• Business continuity planning and recovery strategies
• Learning from failure and post-crisis transformation
• Supply chain disruptions and systemic risk
• Human capital resilience and well-being

Track 09: Risk Management, Decision Sciences, and Strategic Intelligence

This track examines how organizations identify, assess, and respond to complex risks using analytical, cognitive, and strategic intelligence approaches. It integrates decision sciences with foresight and organizational learning to improve strategic judgment under uncertainty (Snowden & Boone, 2007; Rohrbeck & Kum, 2018; Stigliani & Ravasi, 2021).

Topics include:

• Enterprise risk management in complex systems
• Behavioral decision-making and cognitive biases
• Strategic intelligence and competitive foresight
• Early-warning systems and weak signal detection
• Data-driven decision support systems

Track 10: Human Capital, Well-Being, and the Future of Work

This track focuses on the human dimension of complexity, examining how leadership, work design, and organizational practices evolve in response to digitalization, uncertainty, and societal expectations. Recent research highlights the importance of well-being, inclusion, and sustainable performance in building resilient organizations (Hanelt et al., 2021; Hoffmann & Waddock, 2022; Williams et al., 2021).

Topics include:

• Workforce resilience and psychological safety
• Leadership, well-being, and sustainable performance
• Hybrid work, digital labor, and organizational design
• Skills development and lifelong learning
• Inclusion, equity, and dignity at work