May 19–22, 2027 | UCEMA (Universidad del CEMA), Buenos Aires, Argentina
Hosted by the Southern Management Association in partnership with UCEMA

Not a traditional conference

SMA International: Buenos Aires brings together management scholars from North and South America to build research collaborations that last. There are no paper sessions or podium presentations. Participants spend two days in small cross-national working groups, developing manuscripts, designing studies, and shaping joint projects with colleagues from the other hemisphere.

The meeting is intentionally small, with approximately 100 participants. It is open to every area of management, including strategy, leadership, entrepreneurship, family business, human resources, organizational behavior, and social networks.

How it works

Every participant joins a cross-national working group, with members from both regions. That group is the center of the meeting and is where collaborations form. In the afternoons, you choose from elective sessions:

• • Methods and Theory Sessions led by senior scholars. Topics include designing cross-national and comparative studies, multilevel and mixed-effects models, and building theory for top-tier journals.
  • Development Workshops with Editors. Editors from the Journal of Management and the Journal of Management Scientific Review work through manuscripts and publication pathways in small groups. Invited editors from AMJ, AMR, and ORM also take part.

On the final afternoon, groups exchange proposals for structured critique, revise them, and commit to a lead and a timeline for their next meeting. Each group leaves with a written research plan.

Evenings include cultural programming in Buenos Aires, so the relationships you build extend beyond the working sessions.

Program at a glance

• Tuesday, May 19: Arrivals and Welcome Reception at UCEMA
• Wednesday, May 20: Working groups, elective sessions, and group synthesis; evening cultural experience
• Thursday, May 21: Working groups, elective sessions, cross-group critique, and closing plenary; evening cultural experience
• Friday, May 22: Departures, with an optional self-guided cultural morning (suggested itinerary provided)

Two ways to participate

Manuscript Development. This track is for scholars with a working paper they want to develop toward publication. Submit a 3 to 5 page proposal that covers your research question, theoretical framing, method, and the manuscript’s current status. Selection is competitive, and places are limited by editor workshop capacity. Accepted participants join the editor-led development workshop and a working group.

Research Collaboration. This track is for scholars seeking cross-national collaborators, whether or not they have a finished manuscript. Submit a 1 to 2 page brief that covers your research interest, the collaboration you are looking for, and what a partner from the other region would add. Accepted participants join a working group, pitch their idea within that group, and attend the elective sessions.

Selection in both tracks also considers balance across career stage and region, so every group is genuinely mixed. Doctoral students through senior faculty are welcome.

Travel funding support

Many institutions fund travel only for scholars who are on the program. Every accepted participant, in either track, receives a decision letter that names their program role, which you can use to support a funding request.

Key dates

• Call opens: October 2026
• Submission deadline: January 18, 2027, 11:59 p.m. EST
• Decisions: Late January 2027
• Registration deadline: [March 2027 / April 1, 2027]
• Meeting: May 19–22, 2027

This is an in-person meeting with no virtual option. At least one author of each accepted submission must register by [date] to keep the spot.

Questions?
Contact Paul Johnson, President, Southern Management Association, at pj@olemiss.edu.