PDW Invitation: RESEARCH IN UNCONVENTIONAL CONTEXTS: REFLECTIONS AND FUTURE AVENUES
Primary Sponsor: Research Methods Division
Organizers: Farooq Ahmad, Farooq Mughal
📅 Date: 31st July - 4th August 2026 (Exact date/time TBA)
📍 Academy of Management Annual Meeting, Philadelphia
Join us at the AOM 2026 Professional Development Workshop on conducting research in extreme and unconventional contexts, sponsored by the Research Methods Division.
As global polycrisis, geopolitical disruption, and cascading organizational fragmentation reshape the conditions of scholarly inquiry, researching in extreme contexts has become both more urgent and more methodologically demanding. This workshop brings together scholars to collectively reflect on the value, challenges, and lessons learned from fieldwork in settings where conventional approaches routinely break down.
The workshop advances management knowledge across several dimensions. First, it examines what extreme and unconventional contexts make visible that stable settings conceal - from hidden power dynamics to fragile organizing processes under pressure. Second, it addresses methodological improvisation: how researchers adapt data collection strategies when classical approaches prove inadequate under conditions of risk, urgency, and uncertainty. Third, it foregrounds the human dimensions of extreme fieldwork - emotional strain, identity tensions, and the ethical complexities that exceed standard protocols. Fourth, it explores how knowledge generated at the margins can achieve rigor and publishability in top management journals. Finally, it offers a space for early-career scholars to receive direct feedback and guidance from experienced fieldworkers.
Part I: Presentations by panelists sharing fieldwork experiences across extreme contexts (45 min)
Part II: Two concurrent roundtable discussions (30 min):
• Data Collection from Professional Organizations
• Data Collection from Vulnerable Communities
Part III: Closing remarks and Q&A with discussants (15 min)
Pre-registration is required. Space is limited.
📝 Register here: Attendance registration is required for this session. To reserve your place, please send an email to fahmad@siena.edu.
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Farooq Mughal
Associate Professor
University of Bath
Bath
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