A. Purpose, Membership, and Activities

A. 1. General Purpose:

The purpose of Interest Groups and Communities (IG&Cs) of the SMS is to recognize major, individual streams of practice and research interest and to serve the needs of members with special interests in these major streams of work.

A. 2. Membership:

Members of the Society may join up to two IGs and any of the Communities of their choice as part of their member benefits. Additional membership beyond two IGs can be obtained through payment of additional nominal fees. Members will be invited each year to confirm or change their selection of two (or more) such IGs upon renewal of their annual membership.

A. 3. Activities:

The SMS Interest Groups and Communities were instituted with the explicit intent to broaden the scope of the Society and to provide a home for groups of individuals within the strategic management field around a specific subset of topics. Each IG&C will participate in the planning for the SMS Annual Conference by working closely with the annual conference Program Chair(s), managing the review process for the competitive portion, generating dedicated sessions to the first day of the conference program, and generating ideas and initiatives that strengthen the content of the event. In addition, IG&C’s are encouraged to develop other activities that further the mission of the Society and serve their membership. Such activities commonly include initiatives for special events or conferences, new awards, webinars, and member newsletters. Each IG&C should also maintain a designated Circle for their group on the SMS Member Circle, an online community for driving engagement and collaboration year-round.

A. 4. Limitations:

Interest Groups and Communities will exist at the discretion of the Society and have no status independent of the Society. IG&Cs are not authorized or responsible for publications, except those that might be placed on the Society’s Web site(s), or for programs separate from the annual conference program without previous approval from the Society.

B. Responsibilities, Governance, and Elections

B. 1. Officers:

The officers of each IG&C will consist of a Chairperson, a Program Chair, and an Associate Program Chair. The Associate Program Chair is an elected position, and he or she automatically becomes the Program Chair after one year of service, then progresses to the Chairperson of the IG&C in the third year of service.

B. 2. Chairperson:

The Chairperson is responsible for the leadership and overall activity of the IG&C. The Chairperson will usually coordinate the nomination process for the IG&C Elections, manage the budget, and oversee conduct of the virtual annual business meeting. The Chairperson has the authority to appoint committees and to see to the purposes of the IG&C at all levels of its activity.

B. 3. Program Chair:

In addition to assisting the Chairperson, this position is generally responsible for serving as an Interest Group or Community Track Chair of the annual conference, managing the review process, and building sessions that pertain to the IG&C’s major stream of research and practice.

B. 4. Associate Program Chair:

This position is responsible for assisting the Program Chair in conducting all of the duties associated with the Program Chair activities. The holder of this position oversees the development of IG&C workshops and Sunday panel sessions for the annual conference. They may share this responsibility with other elected or appointed leaders (such as the Reps-at-Large or Engagement Officer), or be assigned other duties, as determined by the IG&C’s Chairperson.

B. 5. Representatives-at-Large:

There are six to eight Representatives-at-Large for each IG&C. Annually, three new Representatives-at-Large are elected to serve a two-year term as one cohort’s term expires.

An IG&C may choose to hold an election for a “Global Representative-at-Large” position dedicated to underrepresented geographic regions, as determined by location of candidates’ employing institutions upon election, and underrepresented regions as defined by current SMS member geographic distribution. The Global Representative-at-Large serves a two-year term and is considered an addition to the Representatives-at-Large cohort.

The roles and responsibilities for the Reps-at-Large role is at the discretion of the IG&C, and can include a variety of different responsibilities such as organizing conference sessions, creating the IG&C newsletter, organizing virtual group meetings, and recruiting candidates to stand for election. The Global Representative-at-Large may have an additional duty to provide insights and develop opportunities relevant to underrepresented regional specific issues, as well as help support overall global representation and awareness.

B. 6. Engagement Officer:

The Engagement Officer is an appointed position. The general purpose of this role is for each group to have an individual or group of individuals focused on opportunities for their IG&C’s membership to be involved, committed, and engaged both at conferences and outside of conferences. Each IG&C is able to decide how this role is defined, but some opportunities include organizing webinars or other virtual engagement activities and maintaining an active presence on the SMS Member Circle.

B. 7. IG&C Leadership:

The Leadership of each IG&C is composed of the Chairperson, Program Chair, Associate Program Chair, the six Representatives-atLarge, and the Engagement Officer. IG&C Leadership is responsible for determining internal IG&C policy and for interpreting and conducting the responsibilities of the IG&C according to its mission and within the policies established for the IG&Cs by the Society. The IG&C Leadership is expected to meet virtually at least once per year for their annual business meeting, usually in advance of the annual conference. The Membership Committee of the SMS Board of Directors will serve as a liaison between the IG&C Leadership and the Executive Director and the Board.

B. 8. Elections:

IG&C elections are scheduled each year during the month of November and coincide with the elections for the SMS Board. Officers of each IG&C are the nomination committee, and the Chairperson of the IG&C serves as the chair of the nominating committee. Each year the nominating committee will nominate at least two individuals for each position up for election. Online elections take place from November 1-30, with results available in early December.

C. IG&C Budget

C. 1. Budget:

In order to assist each IG&C in developing its specific appeal and to provide resources for venturing into new activity during as well as outside the annual conference, each IG&C will have access to a modest budget. It will be provided with the explicit goal of making SMS overall more attractive to a growing number of people within the strategic management field. The budgets provided are intended as seed money for additional desirable activity, as funds to be leveraged by interested and dedicated IG&C members, who attempt to seize an opportunity to expand the scale of the SMS through the activity. With discretion over these resources comes responsibility for its usage. The Society is under external scrutiny that applies to any funds it expends as having to be properly documented and as in line with our not-for-profit status as an educational organization.

C. 2. Budget Process:
  • The Society will make $2 available to each IG&C for every IG&C member.
  • Each year’s budget will be derived from the membership numbers of Dec 31 of the preceding year.
  • The funds available through this budget will usually be provided on a reimbursement basis. Reimbursement requests should be directed to the SMS Office.
  • Expenditures should be discussed with the SMS Office before they are incurred. Expenditures must be approved by the IG&C Chairperson or designated substitute representative.

D. Modifications of Domain Statement

D. 1. Modifications of Domain Statement:

In the course of development in the field and in research, it is to be expected that from time to time the Domain Statement for each IG&C may need to be revised. To start a formal modification process, an amended Domain Statement, which has been consensually developed by the officers of the IG&C, should be forwarded to the SMS Executive Office or the Membership Committee of the SMS Board of Directors. As such change might impact other IG&Cs, the Society will distribute the modified Domain Statement to the Chairs of the other IG&Cs for their input and acknowledgment. In case any issues are raised, those will be discussed with the proponents. An agreement on a modified Mission Statement will need to be confirmed by the SMS Executive Committee. If no agreement can be found, the SMS

E. Policy on Interest Group and Community Forming, Disbanding, and Reorganizing

E. 1. Forming a New Interest Group or Community:

The process of forming a new Interest Group or Community (IG&C) proceeds through two phases: (1) Gaining approval as a “Provisional Interest Group or Community” and (2) Gaining approval as a “Permanent Interest Group or Community.”

E. 2. Becoming a “Provisional Interest Group or Community”:

To become a Provisional Interest Group or Community, those seeking to form a new IG&C will first submit a proposal to the Executive Committee (EC) of the SMS. This proposal describes how a new Interest Group or Community will further the interests of the SMS and its members. To this end, such proposals should (1) briefly describe the new IG&C, (2) briefly summarize its proposed purposes and domain, (3) discuss possible overlaps between this domain and the domains of other currently existing IG&Cs, (4) provide indicators of demand among current and potential members of the SMS for this new IG&C, (5) identify, by name, individuals who have agreed to serve on the Founding Executive Committee of the new IG&C—as Founding Chair, Founding Program Chair, and Founding Assistant Program Chair, (6) describe how and when elections will be held to nominate and elect members of the IG&C’s Leadership Committee, and (7) discuss plans to encourage competitive submissions for the annual conference along with plans for other pre-conference and conference sessions.

All such proposals are submitted to the EC, in writing, for comment. After possible revisions, the proposal will be distributed to the leadership teams of other IG&Cs for additional comment. This might lead to further revisions of the proposal. The EC will then consider a final revised proposal. If supported by the EC, the revised proposal will be distributed to the Board of Directors. If the majority of the Board of Directors supports the proposal, the proposed IG&C will be granted the status of a “Provisional Interest Group.”

Once approved, a Provisional IG&C will have all the same rights and responsibilities as a Permanent IG&C. As with other IG&Cs, the number of sessions that a Provisional IG&C has on the program of the annual conference will be a function of the number of submissions it receives. A Provisional IG&C can also submit proposals for plenary or semi-plenary sessions during the annual conference, can develop content for Sunday sessions of the conference, distribute an electronic newsletter, and in all other ways act as an IG&C. A Provisional IG&C’s initial budget allocation will be established through discussions among members of the Founding Executive Committee and the Executive Committee of the SMS, and will reflect an estimate of the number of people likely to join this new IG&C. All subsequent budgets will be determined based on the number of members of the IG&C, the same way as other IG&Cs.

E. 3. Becoming a “Permanent Interest Group or Community”:

Sometime within three years of being granted status as a Provisional IG&C, the Executive Committee of a Provisional IG&C can apply for status as a Permanent IG&C. It does this by forwarding to the EC a report that describes how the group has implemented the plans it articulated in its proposal to become a Provisional IG&C and how the group has continued to meet the needs of the SMS and its members.

Changing the status of a Provisional IG&C to that of a Permanent IG&C requires a majority vote of SMS Board of Directors following a recommendation by the EC. Once an Interest Group or Community is granted this permanent status, it will continue as an IG&C unless it fails to meet IG&C requirements described in other SMS policies. If a Provisional IG&C is not granted the status of a Permanent IG&C within three years of its founding, it will be disbanded.

E. 4. Disbanding a Current Interest Group or Community:

For a variety of reasons, an IG&C may no longer serve the interests of current and potential SMS members. In these settings, it may be appropriate to disband a current IG&C. Possible indicators of the need to disband a current IG might include: (1) very low numbers of IG&C submissions to the annual conference program, (2) very low number of IG&C members, (3) an inability to find people willing to stand for election in an IG&C, and so forth. A member or leader in an IG&C, the EC, or a member of the Board of Directors can propose the disbanding of an IG&C. This is done by developing a report on the status of the IG&C in question that suggests why an IG&C should no longer be operated. This report is then submitted to the EC, where it is discussed, and after which it may be revised. If the EC concludes that a revised proposal may have merit, it then is forwarded to the Board of Directors where it is discussed, after which it may again be revised. If, after this process, the majority of the Board of Directors supports the (revised) report’s conclusions, it is forwarded to the current Executive Committee of the IG&C in question for comments and a formal written response. This formal written response could include plans for how this IG&C will improve its performance going forward. If no formal response from an IG&C is forthcoming in a reasonable period of time, then the process of disbanding an IG&C will continue.

The Board of Directors will consider the final report and any formal response from the IG&C in question. By a majority vote of the Board, this IG&C can be put on “formal probation.” Alternatively, by majority vote, the Board can conclude that an IG&C should not be put on formal probation and it will continue in good standing. Formal probation means that, unless the IG&C in question substantially improves its performance over the next two years, it will be formally disbanded. During formal probation, an IG&C will continue to receive funding and support consistent with the funding and support of IG&Cs in good standing. No later than two years after being put on formal probation, an IG&C’s final status will be considered. If the Board concludes that an IG&C has not significantly improved its performance during its time on formal probation, it can, by majority vote, disband an IG&C. Alternatively, if the Board concludes that an IG&C has significantly improved its performance, it can, by majority vote, return an IG&C to good standing.

E. 5. Reorganizing an Existing Interest Group or Community:

From time to time, it may be necessary to reorganize one or more IG&Cs. Such reorganizations could take a variety of forms, including, but not limited to: (1) significant changes to an IG&C’s domain statement, (2) changing an IG&C’s name, (3) merging two previously separate IG&Cs, and so forth. Some of these proposed changes may not be covered under policies outlined above. In such situations, a proposal is submitted to the EC, in writing, for comment. After possible revisions, the proposal will be distributed to the leadership teams of other IG&Cs for additional comment and possible further revisions. The EC will then consider a final revised proposal and might recommend it to the Board of Directors for action. If the majority of the Board of Directors supports the proposal, the proposal will be implemented according to the timetable included in the proposal.