10582: Decentralizing Organizations: Theory, Ideation, and Future Development

Sunday, July 27, 2025

12:00 - 13:30 CEST (GMT+2)

Location: Bella Center: MR19

Session Type: Symposium (panel)
Orientation: Practice,Research,Diversity
Shareable link: https://cdmcd.co/qdkRzJ

Organizer(s)

JM

Julian Jonathan Markus

WU Vienna, Austria
SD

Stephen Dwyer

INSEAD, United States

Moderator(s)

RH

Rebecca Hewett

Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus U., Netherlands

Panelist(s)

VH

Vivianna Fang He

UCL - University of London, United Kingdom
ML

Michael Yanche Lee

INSEAD, France
FM

Frank Martela

Aalto U., Finland
KS

Kaisa E. Snellman

INSEAD, France
TY

Trevor Daniel Young-Hyman

U. of Pittsburgh, United States

Decentralization has recently gained increasing attention as an organizing principle due to its alignment with contemporary organizational challenges, including skepticism toward management hierarchies, demands for greater transparency and inclusion, and the need for agility in responding to macro-level disruptions. Research on decentralization is often polarized, reflecting ideological debates and methodological scopes that limit its theoretical and empirical generalizability. Critics have dismissed decentralization as a repackaging of classical organization theories or as a transient management trend, while proponents emphasize the need for new theory due to the potential for addressing pressing matters such as worker participation and broader societal challenges. This symposium aims to advance the discourse by moving beyond fundamental discussions by drawing from a diverse group of scholars and by uniting a multitude of perspectives to refine theory, address empirical challenges, and catalyze high-impact research. Building on discussions from previous AOM sessions, this panel aims to shift the focus toward actionable steps for advancing the theory through decentralization.