The Strategic Management in Latin America Conference (SMLA) in partnership with the AOM Community Accelerator Program brings together scholars and practitioners engaged in the advancement of academic research and professional practice in Strategic Management, with a particular emphasis on the Latin American context. Now in its eleventh edition, SMLA has established itself as a premier forum for the rigorous and collegial exchange of ideas among researchers, business leaders, entrepreneurs, and policymakers from across the region and beyond.
SMLA 2026 offers a unique opportunity to present and discuss your research with colleagues from across Latin America and around the world who share a deep interest in the region. Attendees will also have the chance to engage directly with entrepreneurs, managers, and public policy decision-makers, providing a valuable bridge between academic scholarship and practice.
| Submission Deadline | September 1st, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Notification of Decisions | September 28, 2026 |
| Early Bird Registration Deadline | October 12, 2026 |
| Regular Registration | October 13 – December 2, 2026 |
| AOM PDW with journal editors and methods specialists | December 2, 2026 |
| Conference Dates | December 3–4, 2026 |
We look forward to welcoming you to Bogotá in December 2026. SMLA 2026 is hosted by the School of Management, Universidad de los Andes, Colombia.
We invite rigorous scholarly contributions that analyze the configurations of ecosystem constituents—including, but not limited to, financial capital, human capital, cultural norms, and public policy frameworks—and how their particular structural arrangements either facilitate or impede the emergence of productive, high-impact entrepreneurship and robust business practices.
The conference is particularly well-suited to generating granular, context-specific insights pertaining to ecosystem dynamics, emergent outcomes, and their effective measurement. We especially encourage research investigating the mechanisms of social interaction and network formation—including the critically under-examined roles of accelerators, incubators, and other support organizations originating from the Global South—in fostering high-impact ventures.
Entrepreneurship and Institutions: Strategic Management of High-Impact Ventures and Ecosystems in Latin America
SMLA 2026 examines the reciprocal relationship between Strategic Management principles and the institutional architectures underpinning Latin American entrepreneurial ecosystems (LAEEs). We welcome rigorous scholarly contributions on this theme as well as on the broader discipline of strategy.
In addition to the main theme, the conference will feature plenary sessions addressing two pressing challenges for the Strategic Management community: the role of Artificial Intelligence in strategy, and the implications of AI for management education.
By focusing on Latin America, scholars have a unique opportunity to address pressing policy questions concerning appropriate methodologies for measuring entrepreneurial output in contexts characterized by significant inequality and rapid digitalization. Such work ultimately aims to inform strategies for aggregate welfare and sustainable development.
We particularly welcome submissions that advance novel methodologies and propose metrics conducive to comparative analysis. Contributions of this kind will enable the rigorous evaluation of entrepreneurship policies, facilitate scholarly dialogue on ecosystem boundaries, and provide evidence-based insights relevant to academics, practitioners, and policymakers alike.
While the conference theme foregrounds entrepreneurship and institutional ecosystems, SMLA 2026 also welcomes submissions advancing knowledge across the broader discipline of Strategic Management. Scholars working on competitive strategy, internationalization, corporate governance, sustainability, and related domains are warmly encouraged to submit their work.
In addition to the main research theme, SMLA 2026 will feature two plenary sessions addressing significant contemporary challenges for the Strategic Management community:
These sessions are designed to foster substantive dialogue between scholars and practitioners on questions that are reshaping the landscape of strategic management.
SMLA 2026 invites theoretical papers, applied and empirical research, case studies, panels, and special session proposals across seven thematic tracks. Paper presentation sessions are scheduled in 120-minute blocks over the two-day conference, with papers grouped into sessions of three to five papers each. All submitted papers will undergo a rigorous double-blind peer review process.
We encourage original contributions that engage with the following tracks:
For inquiries regarding a specific track, please contact the relevant track chair. General questions about the conference may be directed to the SMLA 2026 organizing committee.
This track welcomes scholarship examining how firms design and compete through platform-based business models, multi-sided markets, and digital ecosystems, as well as traditional questions of competitive positioning and corporate strategy. We seek contributions that analyze value creation and capture in platform economies, the dynamics of competitive advantage in rapidly evolving industries, and the governance challenges confronting multi-business firms. Research exploring the intersection of platform strategy with Latin America’s distinctive institutional and market conditions is especially encouraged.
This track invites research on how firms from Latin America navigate the opportunities and challenges of competing in global markets, as well as how multinational enterprises enter and operate within the region. Contributions may address the internationalization strategies of emerging-market multinationals, the role of institutional distance in shaping foreign direct investment decisions, global value chain integration, and the evolving nature of regional and global competitive dynamics. Comparative studies and research drawing on cross-national datasets are particularly welcome.
This track explores the strategic dimensions of organizational resilience and sustainable development in the Latin American context. We welcome research on how firms anticipate, absorb, and adapt to environmental, social, and economic disruptions, as well as scholarship examining corporate sustainability strategies, ESG governance, and the pursuit of competitive advantage through responsible business practices. Contributions that bridge resilience theory with sustainability imperatives—and that engage with the particular vulnerabilities and opportunities of Latin American economies—are strongly encouraged.
Aligned with the overarching conference theme, this track invites rigorous contributions on new venture creation, opportunity recognition, and the systemic conditions that shape entrepreneurial outcomes across Latin America. Research may address the role of institutional frameworks, informal networks, and resource environments in enabling or constraining high-impact entrepreneurship. We also welcome studies examining accelerators, incubators, and other ecosystem intermediaries, as well as work exploring how digitalization and changing social norms are reshaping entrepreneurial activity throughout the region.
This track focuses on the strategic interfaces between public institutions and private actors in driving innovation, supporting new venture creation, and delivering public value. Contributions may examine public–private partnerships, science and technology parks, government-sponsored incubation programs, and the design of innovation ecosystems. Research addressing how collaborative governance structures shape firm-level innovation performance, and how these dynamics manifest in Latin American institutional contexts characterized by significant state involvement and varying regulatory capacity, is particularly welcome.
This track invites scholarship on the internal dynamics through which strategy is formulated, implemented, and renewed within organizations. We welcome research drawing on strategy-as-practice perspectives, process-oriented approaches, and studies of strategic leadership and corporate governance. Contributions examining how top management teams, boards, and organizational routines shape strategic outcomes—and how these processes are influenced by the cultural, political, and institutional specificities of the Latin American environment—are especially encouraged
This track explores how inter-organizational networks, knowledge flows, and collaborative relationships drive innovation and firm performance. We invite contributions examining the structure and dynamics of industry networks, alliances, and knowledge-sharing ecosystems, as well as research on how network position influences competitive outcomes. Studies addressing the particular characteristics of Latin American business networks—including family business groups, business associations, and informal ties—and their implications for innovation and performance are strongly encouraged.
| Length | 4,000 to 7,000 words, including references and main tables |
|---|---|
| Font | Times New Roman, 12-point |
| Spacing | Double-spaced |
| File Format | Adobe PDF (.pdf) |
| Paper Size | US Letter or A4 |
| Margins | 1 inch (2.5 cm) on all sides |
Each submission must include the following elements:
Important: Do not include any author information—such as names, institutional affiliations, or email addresses—anywhere in the submitted document. Submissions containing author-identifying information will not be considered for review.
Full papers must be submitted through the SMLA 2026 online submission portal. [Submission portal link to be confirmed.] Submissions sent directly by email will not be accepted. Presenters and panelists whose proposals are accepted must be registered for the conference prior to presenting their work. SMLA 2026 is hosted by the School of Management, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia.
All submitted full papers will undergo a rigorous double-blind peer review process. Authors will be notified of the review outcome by September 28, 2026.
Participants whose submissions are accepted for presentation—whether as paper presenters, panelists, or workshop participants—are required to register for the conference. The applicable fee schedule is as follows:
| Registration Category | Early Bird (until October 12, 2026) | Regular (October 13 – December 2, 2026) |
| Full Registration | USD 450 | USD 550 |
| Ph.D. Students | USD 300 | USD 400 |
Registration fees cover attendance at all conference sessions, plenary addresses, conference materials, and scheduled social events. Further registration details and payment instructions will be made available on the conference website.
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Your place to connect with knowledge. Discover one of Latin America’s most renowned academic institutions, located in the heart of Bogotá.
Universidad de los Andes will serve as the meeting point where academia, government, and industry come together to build a shared vision for the future of pension systems in the region. Its modern campus, international reputation, and ability to inspire meaningful dialogue make it the ideal venue for this event.
Main Campus, Cra. 1 #18A-12, Bogotá, Colombia.
Centro de Emprendimiento
Universidad de los Andes
Cra. 1 Nº 19 – 27 – Edificio Aulas
Bogotá, Colombia
PBX: (671) 332 4144
Línea gratuita nacional: 018000 123 300
Universidad de los Andes | Vigilada Mineducación
Reconocimiento como Universidad: Decreto 1297 del 30 de mayo de 1964.
Reconocimiento personería jurídica: Resolución 28 del 23 de febrero de 1949 Minjusticia.
Universidad de los Andes | Vigilada Mineducación
Reconocimiento como Universidad:
Decreto 1297 del 30 de mayo de 1964.
Reconocimiento personería jurídica:
Resolución 28 del 23 de febrero de 1949 Minjusticia.
© – Derechos Reservados Universidad de los Andes
