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Chen Xiurong— “Fueled by the Leader’s Wins: How and When Leader Capitalization Motivates Approach-oriented Behaviors”
PhD  /  Meet the Students  /  Conference Trips  /  Chen Xiurong

Department of Management and Organisation

“Fueled by the Leader’s Wins: How and When Leader Capitalization Motivates Approach-oriented Behaviors”.

A short report from Chen Xiurong who presented her research paper during the 86th Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management (AOM 2026).

Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management (AOM 2026).

Chen Xiurong networking during the AOM2026.

Attending the AOM, the largest annual conference in management, for the first time was both exciting and fruitful. It provided an excellent opportunity to gain advanced insights from experts on various topics, learn key tenets from editorial board members of top-tier journals, develop professional skills through professional development workshops, and network with scholars in our field.

I am currently leading a research project on interpersonal capitalization, so I attended a symposium on human conversation at work to learn how other scholars approach their projects on this topic. By asking questions after their presentations, I gained a clearer understanding of what they are currently working on and became more confident in the theoretical contribution of my ongoing project. This experience has reinforced my belief that my work can add value to the current academic conversation.

I attended the Academy of Management Review (AMR) session, which included panel talks and roundtable discussions with members of the editorial team. This session provided me with a clearer understanding of AMR’s expectations, the paper review process, and the scope they expect for theoretical papers. This knowledge will be invaluable as I generate ideas for my second-year theoretical paper. Additionally, I learned about some programs at AMR that can help us develop our ideas and hone our review skills.

I participated in the OB research incubator to further develop my ongoing project. I had a detailed discussion with Prof. Robert Lord, a renowned expert in cognitive psychology, to gain his feedback on the theoretical framework and study design of the project. I have already shared his feedback with my research team members.

Chen Xiurong with Professor Chris Barnes during the AOM2026.

The conference was a great opportunity to reconnect with old friends and make new acquaintances. I had the chance to express my gratitude to the professors who wrote recommendation letters for my PhD program application; they kindly invited me to continue working on research projects together. I also arranged a meeting with one of my co-authors, with whom I have been working remotely but had not yet met in person. Meeting co-authors in person, in addition to Zoom, helps to deepen our understanding of each other and build trust, which is beneficial for future collaboration. Additionally, I made many new acquaintances among PhD students in the New Doctoral Student Consortium and learned about their research interests and progress. This provided a great opportunity to ensure that I am on the right track.

Conclusion: Attending the AOM conference was an invaluable experience for new doctoral students like myself. It offered insights into the “academic game,” highlighted areas for growth, and helped me adjust my future plans for professional development to better navigate academia.

Conference Details

  1. 86th Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management (AOM 2026) Philadelphia, USA ·  31 Jul – 4 August 2026
NUS Business School, National University of Singapore  ·  PhD Programme, Department of Management and Organisation
  • PhD
  • “Fueled by the Leader’s Wins: How and When Leader Capitalization Motivates Approach-oriented Behaviors”