Member Spotlight: Luis R. Gomez-Mejia – Recipient of the 2023 Distinguished Service Award

Luis R. Gomez-Mejia is the 2023 recipient of the Academy of Management’s Distinguished Service Award for his years of longstanding, dedicated service within the AOM community. A highly cited scholar, his research focuses on the relationships of international management, strategic management, executive compensation, and family businesses.

The Distinguished Service Award is an all-Academy career achievement award presented annually to a candidate who has demonstrated excellence in developing or enhancing a field of study, founding, or creatively editing a journal, or helping to build institutions through creative or unusually effective service. Reflecting on the significance of the award, Luis shared his surprise and gratitude, stating, "It’s a great honor to have received this award from AOM. Frankly, it was totally unexpected for me."

Luis’s academic journey began at the University of Minnesota, where he earned his bachelor’s degree Summa Cum Laude in economics, followed by a master’s degree and PhD in Industrial Relations. Before entering academia, he spent three years in human resources for the City of Minneapolis and five years as an internal consultant for Data Control Corporation. He joined the University of Florida in the early 1980s and has worked at several universities, including University of Colorado, Arizona State University, Texas A & M, University of Notre Dame, then returning to Arizona State University, where he is currently the Regents Professor and Weatherup/Overby Chair in Leadership at the W. P. Carey School of Business. Luis’s background also includes consulting roles with prominent organizations such as IBM Corporation, DuPont, and Honeywell International Inc.

Luis has published more than 250 articles in the Academy of Management Journal, Academy of Management Review, Strategic Management Journal, and Administrative Science Quarterly, among others. Notably he received best paper awards from Academy of Management Journal and Administrative Science Quarterly. “I’ll never forget my first publication as a humble undergrad student, published in the Academy of Management Journal, in 1976, I’ll never forget the first time I got an acceptance. Since then, I’ve been fortunate to work with a lot of good people, and it had really allowed me to flourish in a way that I couldn’t have done otherwise.”

Luis has also received important international recognition for his work over the years, including Doctor Honoris Causa at Jonkopings University (Sweden), Doctor Honoris Causa at Carlos III University (Spain), Global Educator Award at Oxford University (United Kingdom), named Prominent Scholar and Thought Leader by Academy of International Business, selected to the Academy of Management Hall of Fame, given the Outstanding Achievement Alumni Award by the University of Minnesota, selected for ten consecutive years in Clariviate “top 1 percent  of  cited researchers in the world”, and chosen into Stanford University’s “list of most highly cited researchers in the world”, among others.

Luis first joined AOM as a doctoral student in 1976 and since then, says he has seen AOM evolve from a small organization to an international community, incorporating more than 19,000 scholars. Luis expressed his appreciation, saying, "It has been a privilege for me to be a part of AOM for that many years. My research has been a collaborative effort with literally hundreds of AOM members. I feel very grateful to AOM that it has allowed me to do that over so many years." He is a member of the Entrepreneurship and Strategic Management Divisions, and serves as a Fellow of the Academy.

Notably, Luis is the founder and past president of the Iberoamerican Academy of Management (IAOM), an organization that maintains an affiliate relationship with AOM representing common purpose. He founded IAOM in 1997 with the mission “to foster the general advancement of knowledge in the theory and practice of management among Iberoamerican scholars and/or those academics interested in Iberoamerican issues.” Iberoamerica is defined broadly to include all Hispanic American countries in North, Central, and South America; Spain; and Portugal.

Luis would like to thank Isabel Gutierrez, Julio De Castro, Carolina Gomez for their support, as well as Andy van de Ven, Mike Hitt, Bill Starbuck, and Herman Aguinis, for their roles in the creation of IAOM, which now has approximately 1100 members.

When asked about recommendations for scholars looking to get involved in AOM, Luis emphasized the importance  of reviewing for the Annual Meeting, especially for emerging scholars. As scholars progress in their careers, he suggests volunteering to review within AOM’s journals. In more advanced career stages, Luis encourages scholars to take on roles such as organizing preconference activities, leading symposia, serving as associate editors, running for division chair positions, or self-nominating to join the Board of Governors.

Learn more about the 2023 Career Achievement Awards.