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Share Ideas, Inspire Leaders, and Advance Knowledge: Join the Knowledge and Publications Committee

If you are passionate about ideas, research, and the power of knowledge to shape the future of management, the Knowledge and Publications Committee offers an exciting opportunity to make an impact. This committee is at the heart of SAM’s mission to provide thought leadership, share best practices, and foster innovation among professionals, educators, and students in the management field.

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Paramount Skydance bets on UFC to anchor streaming growth

Paramount Skydance is moving fast to translate a complex merger into a simple operating thesis. The company will lean on a reliable drumbeat of live events, a clearer release cadence for films and series, and a heavier use of artificial intelligence to improve development and personalization. The centerpiece is a seven year, multibillion dollar agreement that shifts UFC from a pay per view habit toward a streaming habit inside Paramount+.

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Leadership Links #10

This week’s edition tracks how leaders are reshaping strategy through media rights, governance reforms, board appointments, workplace policy, and geopolitics. Paramount’s UFC deal signals a bolder streaming play tied to film output and live sports. McKinsey’s new leadership model aims to cool succession drama. BP’s chair pick links governance directly to execution. Starbucks tightens in-office expectations to reinforce culture. Intel faces Washington scrutiny that blends national security with executive accountability.

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Beyond the Numbers: Why Chasing Metrics Can Derail Performance

In today’s data-rich workplaces, performance metrics are everywhere. Managers track revenue per employee, cost per unit, customer satisfaction scores, and dozens of other indicators meant to guide decisions. These numbers provide clarity and structure in environments that are often fast-paced and uncertain. They offer a snapshot of how things are going and make it easier to set goals and evaluate outcomes. But when numbers begin to dominate the conversation, they can create a false sense of control. Organizations may start optimizing for what is easiest to measure rather than what actually drives long-term success. As a result, what was meant to support performance begins to distort it.

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Society for Advancement of Management board committee recruitment graphic with magnifying glass highlighting three person icons on a light blue background, featuring the SAM logo and text 'Volunteer Recruitment Initiative'

Help Shape SAM’s Future: Join the Membership and Marketing Committee

If you have a passion for connecting people, growing networks, and spreading the word about the value of professional engagement, the Membership and Marketing Committee could be your perfect place to serve. This committee plays a critical role in ensuring that the Society for Advancement of Management (SAM) continues to thrive by attracting new members, supporting current members, and creating opportunities for meaningful involvement.

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A stylized purple and pink landscape with a dark winding road leading toward distant hills under a pastel sky. On the left is a hexagonal badge featuring a lighthouse by the sea with the text ‘International Business Conference 2026 SAM.’ Overlaying the scene in bold white letters is ‘The Road to SAMIBC2026.

Building Better Conversations: How to Elevate Research as a Conference Discussant

Contributing as a discussant at an academic conference can be one of the most rewarding and sometimes most intimidating roles you will undertake. Whether you are a graduate student stepping into your first session or an early career scholar looking to refine your approach, knowing how to prepare, provide candid yet supportive feedback, and engage attendees in genuine dialogue can transform your impact on the research community.

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Logo for “SAM Management Pulse” featuring a stylized electrocardiogram line integrated with the SAM logo. The background is a dark blue digital grid, and the heartbeat line glows in bright neon blue, emphasizing the concept of monitoring the pulse of contemporary management trends.

AT&T and the End of Workplace Loyalty: Rebuilding the Employment Contract

AT&T CEO John Stankey recently shook the corporate world by declaring the end of traditional workplace loyalty. In a memo responding to employee survey results, he suggested that long term job security, tenure based promotions, and expectations about remote work must change. He framed the employment relationship as increasingly transactional and guided by market realities. The message landed during a period when many companies are rethinking roles because of AI, automation, and shifting customer needs.

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Leadership Links #9

This week’s roundup looks at how leadership choices shape culture, capability, and confidence during a period of rapid change. You will see why a Bitcoin miner moved quickly to restore continuity, how a telecom’s blunt message about loyalty is stirring debate, and what one enterprise software chief says about the role of human judgment in an AI heavy future. We also highlight a senior leadership program focused on sustainability and strategy, and new research that finds most executives feel unprepared for overlapping crises.

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The Hidden Cost of Silos: Why High-Performing Teams Work Across Boundaries

In many organizations, productivity is measured by how well each department performs within its own scope. Sales pushes to meet quotas, operations focuses on throughput, and finance keeps a close eye on spending. This seems like an efficient way to run a business. Each unit has defined responsibilities and is held accountable for specific results. The structure creates clarity, and the metrics provide guidance. However, when you take a step back and examine how the business operates as a whole, it becomes clear that success within departments does not always add up to organizational progress. Often, the parts function well individually but poorly in combination.

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Logo for “SAM Management Pulse” featuring a stylized electrocardiogram line integrated with the SAM logo. The background is a dark blue digital grid, and the heartbeat line glows in bright neon blue, emphasizing the concept of monitoring the pulse of contemporary management trends.

Mastering Hybrid Work: A Manager’s Guide to Flexibility, Culture, and Performance

Managers face a pivotal moment as the boundaries between office and home continue to blur. In this guide, you’ll discover how to craft hybrid work models that balance flexibility with fairness, nurture a cohesive team culture across any distance, and lead with empathy and outcome-focused performance strategies. Dive in to learn actionable steps for turning hybrid work into your organization’s competitive advantage.

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Society for Advancement of Management board committee recruitment graphic with magnifying glass highlighting three person icons on a light blue background, featuring the SAM logo and text 'Volunteer Recruitment Initiative'

Inspire the Next Generation of Leaders: Join the Collegiate Competitions Committee

At the heart of SAM’s mission is the commitment to developing future leaders in the field of management. One of the most dynamic ways we do this is through our collegiate competitions, where students test their skills, creativity, and problem-solving abilities in a real-world setting. The Collegiate Competitions Committee is responsible for making these experiences possible, and your involvement can directly influence the success of the next generation of professionals.

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Leadership Links #13

This week’s edition examines how leaders navigate political risk, culture scrutiny, unconventional talent bets, and the fast rise of AI inside decision making. France’s confidence vote is rattling boardrooms that

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Tech Won’t Save You: Why Human-Centered Workflows Still Matter Most

Modern organizations are flooded with tools designed to make work faster, smarter, and more efficient. Project management platforms, AI-driven analytics, workflow automation, and communication apps are now staples of daily operations. These technologies promise to streamline tasks, reduce human error, and unlock productivity gains across the board. While some of these promises are fulfilled, others fall short. The assumption that better tools automatically create better results often leads companies to overinvest in technology while underinvesting in the people who use it.

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Society for Advancement of Management board committee recruitment graphic with magnifying glass highlighting three person icons on a light blue background, featuring the SAM logo and text 'Volunteer Recruitment Initiative'

Shape Inspiring Experiences: Join the Conference Programming Committee

The SAM International Business Conference is one of the highlights of our year, bringing together thought leaders, educators, students, and professionals to share ideas, learn from one another, and explore the future of management. The Conference Programming Committee is the driving force behind making this event a meaningful and memorable experience. If you enjoy planning, collaboration, and creative problem-solving, this is your chance to help design one of SAM’s most important events.

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Logo for “SAM Management Pulse” featuring a stylized electrocardiogram line integrated with the SAM logo. The background is a dark blue digital grid, and the heartbeat line glows in bright neon blue, emphasizing the concept of monitoring the pulse of contemporary management trends.

Flattening Corporate Layers Is Changing How Work Gets Led

Many large companies are removing layers to move faster and spend less. Across Corporate America, the average manager to employee ratio has stretched from roughly 1 to 5 in 2017 to about 1 to 15 by 2023. Google, Amazon, Intel, and Estée Lauder are among the firms that cut middle management in pursuit of speed, clearer accountability, and lower cost structures. The intent is simple. Fewer layers should mean quicker decisions and less bureaucracy. The reality is more nuanced.

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Leadership Links #12

This week’s edition looks at how leadership teams are reshaping strategy and structure under pressure from markets, politics, and talent dynamics. You will see why Renault tapped an experienced operator to steer Dacia through a competitive cycle, how BlackRock is pressing state officials to keep pension investing focused on fiduciary duty, and why Milan is pulling finance leaders with tax incentives even as global fundraising cools. We also cover a surge in asset management dealmaking that points to a scale and capability race, plus a rapid flattening of corporate org charts that is changing how managers lead.

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