Incoming Editor Spotlight: Chet Miller
Chet Miller is the incoming Editor-in-Chief of Academy of Management Discoveries and a longstanding member of AOM. Chet is currently the C.T. Bauer Professor of Organizational Studies at the University of Houston and holds a BA and PhD from the University of Texas. Chet began working with new AMD manuscript submissions in July 2023 and officially begins his three-year tenure as editor on 1 January 2024, succeeding current Editor Kevin Rockmann.
“My vision for AMD involves staying the course with its existing, exciting mission while innovating in the ways we attract strong papers to the journal, including through our multimedia, social media, and workshop endeavors. For the next few years, I am hoping to find papers for AMD that not only have strong value for our scholarly community but also lend themselves to rich and immediate applications by practicing managers and executives.”
He first became a member of the AOM community in 1985 while obtaining his PhD from University of Texas at Austin, citing frequent visits to his school from Academy of Management Journal and Academy of Management Review editors as inspiration to join AOM. He recalls the excitement surrounding the Annual Meeting deadline, when members had to rush submissions to FedEx, “digital submissions weren’t yet a thing!”
Since joining AOM, Chet has dedicated his time to multiple journals and Division and Interest Groups (DIGs). He has served as Associate Editor and an editorial review board member for AMD and AMJ. Chet has been coeditor for special issues of AMD and Academy of Management Perspectives (AMP). Two of his papers have earned best article awards, one at Annals and the other at AMR. He has been an active member of several DIGs, including Managerial and Organizational Cognition (MOC), Organization and Management Theory (OMT), Research Methods (RM), and Strategic Management (STR).
“I think AOM is an organization where everyone can find a group that fits their interests and is warm and welcoming. I have had very positive experiences as a member of AOM. My decades-long involvement with the MOC division’s Cognition-in-the-Rough workshop has been nothing short of wonderful. My 19-year involvement with AMJ as an Associate Editor and ERB member has been more fun than I possibly could describe, and, yes, just a little work!”
His service to AOM and presence within multiple DIGs, as well as his part in the founding of AMD, make his step as editor feel like a natural progression. Chet credits the late Andy Van de Ven for influencing his desire to become editor.
“My involvement with the founding of the journal is a clear highlight of my academic journey. I also should add a more serious reference to Andy Van de Ven, the founding editor of AMD. Prior to his passing, I had known Andy for decades and had worked with him on the founding of AMD as an associate editor. He always wanted me to pursue the AMD editorship, and his passing played a role in my decision to do just that. Supporting his legacy is on my mind almost every day. There were obstacles and challenges, but the team led by Andy Van de Ven pushed forward and created a journal of which we all can be proud. That team was and is very, very special. Unbelievably great people.”
Chet cites the following members of the AOM community as having significant influence in his career: Bill Glick, George Huber, Sim Sitkin, and Karl Weick from his time at the University of Texas; Soon Ang, Africa Arino, Peter Bamberger, Curtis LeBaron, Francis Milliken, and Andy Van de Ven from his early AMD experiences; and Sara Rynes, Amy Hillman, Duane Ireland, Brad Kirkman, Kenny Law, Nandini Rajagopalan, and Deb Shapiro from his time as an AMJ associate editor.
For those looking to become involved in AOM or within AMD, Chet suggests members be proactive and reach out to leaders of groups of interest for more information on how they can volunteer. “Send an email message to me if you want to become involved with AMD! Being an ad hoc reviewer is probably the best place to start.”