Our University of Paderborn team – Jun.-Prof. Dr. Sylvia Hubner-Benz, Felix Budde and Frederic-Alexander Starmann – participated in the Academy of Management (AOM) conference in Copenhagen. With over 13,000 attendees, AOM is the world’s largest and most prestigious management conference, and a fantastic place to reconnect with co-authors and international colleagues.
Symposium Highlight
On 27 July 2025, our symposium “Advancing Cross-Cultural Understanding of Team Innovation” brought together outstanding researchers, including Zhaoli Song, Michael Frese, Jomel Ng, Ameek Kaur, Ruonan Zhao, Jianfeng Jia, Ziyang Tang, Jun.-Prof. Dr. Sylvia Hubner-Benz, Felix Budde, Holger Steinmetz, Dr. Slawa Tomin, Marjaana Gunkel, Vas Taras, and Frederic-Alexander Starmann.
Moving beyond the traditional East-versus-West dichotomy, our symposium delved into the cultural nuances that shape team innovation across diverse countries. We explored how critical cultural attributes — including stranger sociability, team humor, and collectivism — drive or inhibit innovation in entrepreneurial and intercultural teams.
Our featured studies:
· Societal Culture Shaping Team Innovation Performance: The Role of Stranger Sociability – presented by Sylvia Hubner-Benz
· From Mumbai to Mars: How Cultural-Cognitive Schemas Harm Team Processes for Exploratory Innovation – presented by Frederic-Alexander Starmann
· Innovation Through Diversity: Why Collectivism Drives Performance in Intercultural Teams – presented by Felix Budde
Key Takeaways
The conference was full of new insights, lively discussions, and inspiration. We especially valued the chance to connect with global colleagues and strengthen international collaborations.
“I returned from Denmark a week later and am still processing the ideas, energy, and inspiration.” – Jun.-Prof. Dr. Sylvia Hubner-Benz
“Thanks to everyone I had the chance to meet and talk to—what a community! This year we met in Copenhagen, for the first time outside the U.S., and I’m excited that more European venues are now on the agenda!” – Jun.-Prof. Dr. Sylvia Hubner-Benz
