2017 Summer AMA | Call for Papers
Chairs: Kelly L. Haws, Mark B. Houston, and Charles H. Noble

The 2017 AMA Summer AMA conference returns to the City by the Bay, San Francisco, CA, a city that exemplifies our conference theme: Innovation and Sustainability through Marketing. The world has been changed by the innovations that have emerged from this region, from foundational technical innovations such as the microprocessor, to game-changing consumer offerings from Apple, Facebook and Google, to services that are disrupting their industries, such as Airbnb and Uber. At the same time, San Francisco leads the US in innovative ways to increase sustainability through initiatives to expand green space, encourage composting, and support community gardens. Similarly, marketing has a pivotal role to play in continued innovation and sustainability – as well as the confluence of the two – as we look ahead to the future.

Innovation itself is a centerpiece of ensuring a bright tomorrow, and its ties to marketing are undeniable. Marketing legend Roger Kerin argued in 1992 that the central strategic role of marketing is “the entrepreneurial work of the organization and organizational renewal and growth; in short, innovation.” Although our entire field – including those who study issues of marketing strategy and those who strive to understand the behaviors of consumers – have advanced our knowledge of innovation in the years since Kerin’s call, the dynamic marketing environment and societal evolution provide a constantly moving target. In fact, one of the “big problems” highlighted in the AMA’s Intellectual Agenda addresses the challenges of balancing near-term, incremental and longer-term, radical innovation efforts. Further, recent attention has centered on ensuring sustainability as innovation continues. As stated in the call for papers for a 2017 special issue on sustainability for the Journal of Public Policy and Marketing, the emphasis has been on “the three pillars of sustainability (economic, social, and environmental) and the role of consumers, marketers, and framers of policy.” As such, our theme encompasses an emphasis on forward thinking through both innovation and these pillars of sustainability.

Across a broad track structure, we invite scholars to submit their best work that pushes the boundaries of what we know regarding: (1) the innovation and/or sustainability behaviors of firms, managers, and consumers, (2) the economic, social, and environmental motivations and outcomes of these behaviors, and (3) how firms, managers, and consumers respond or adapt to the innovation and/or sustainability behaviors of other actors in the marketplace. We particularly encourage work that examines the complex interplay between innovation and sustainability.

We welcome your submission and participation in the 2017 AMA Summer AMA Conference. Visit the 2017 Summer AMA | Call for Papers for complete information on the conference, tracks and track chair contact information.

Kelly L. Haws
Mark B. Houston
Charles H. Noble

---