“Out of the Spotlight” Strategies
Although there are compelling reasons why some companies and industries take the spotlight with respect to media coverage, business discourse, and academic scholarship, the reality is that these companies and industries comprise only a fraction of global economic activity. Companies and industries that operate out of the spotlight – in net – have greater economic and social impact on their communities. At the SMS 39th Annual Conference, we wish to explicitly recognize that some companies, industries, and questions grab the spotlight for our attention. By recognizing this, we wish to redirect the spotlight and rigorously assess the generalizability of our theories, findings, and business discourse.
Minneapolis is a fitting location to house a conference with this theme. Located in the north-central United States, it is out of the spotlight of the economic agglomerations of the coastal United States and generally not considered a major world economic center. However, Minneapolis-St. Paul is one of the most headquartered metropolitan areas in the United States – both in raw counts of large company headquarters and especially in headquarters per capita. Many of the companies in the region operate in industries that are out of the spotlight, yet impact the lives of millions of people daily.