Competitive Paper Presentations

All competitive sessions are one hour and fifteen minutes (75 minutes) long and most contain 4 papers. A good session will break down about like this:

2 minutes to introduce the papers and the session theme
4 12-minute presentations = 48 minutes
4 3-minute Q&A following each presentation = 12 minutes
4 one-minute transitions between papers
10 minutes for general audience discussion following the four papers.
75 minutes total.

Thus, from this allocation, it is important that each presenter closes at about the 12-minute mark. Many session chairs will offer integrative comments at the end of all presentations, and it is important that you give the audience sufficient time to comment as well.

We ask that you keep to these time limits as closely as possible. It is highly unfair if one speaker takes up more than his/her allotted time and therefore reduces the time allotted for everyone else. The session chair will also be asked to control the time for all the presenters and ask you to stop if you run over your time limit. We suggest that you bring a watch, a stopwatch or small clock and use it to monitor your use of time!

Make a Quality Presentation

Please bring your presentation on a USB Memory Stick.

Your slides should be printed in a minimum of 18-20 point font, (preferably in ARIAL as it is easier to read from a distance) in order for your text to be seen from the audience.

We cannot control which fonts will be installed on these computers, so please do not use any fonts outside of Arial and Times New Roman (or other standard Windows fonts) to make sure your presentation looks as intended. The Appendix below presents some specific suggestions for competitive session presenters in terms of WHAT TO present and WHAT NOT to present in the content of your presentation.

It is very helpful for session participants to meet 10 minutes BEFORE the session starts so that everyone can be introduced, the equipment can be checked, handouts distributed, and presentations checked, to avoid having to do this in the time of the session itself. So, please arrive early for your own session. Your prompt appearance will relieve the chair of the anxiety of worrying whether you will be there or not. It also means the session can start on time. If that unwelcome emergency does occur and you cannot make the session, please let your session chair know as soon as possible.

Poster Presentations

Posters will be presented in a dedicated poster session. This session is designed to push early-stage work towards high-impact contributions. Additionally and to provide the best possible experience to poster presenters, we have asked a large number of senior scholars to give feedback during the poster session.

Please make sure the poster you bring to Havana fulfills the following criteria:

Poster size is maximum A0 (841×1189 mm)
All text on the poster is in English
The poster is printed in portrait, not landscape format
Poster contains contact information of the main author
All materials on the poster should be easily readable from more than 1 m away

For presentation of your project and discussion with viewers, it is helpful if you prepare a 5 minutes presentation and bring business cards as well as sketch paper, sticky notes, pens, and markers for discussion.

Making Conference Sessions Exciting

The Role of the Presenter * Abstracted with permission from “Making AOM Sessions Exciting!” by Jing Zhou (Rice University) and Russ Coff (Emory). The report was based on an AOM workshop, August 8, 1999, Chicago, IL, where the panel members were the two co-authors of the report, Sally Blount-Lyon (Chicago), Michael H. Lubatkin (Connecticut), Karl Weick (Michigan) and Edward J. Zajac (Northwestern).

PRESENTER: The presenter’s job is to “sell the paper” and convince the audience that it is worth reading. This requires emphasis of the contribution rather than a summary of all sections of the paper. The following are some ideas for how authors can get the audience engaged and excited about the paper. Most practices in the “DON’T” column are standard procedure and the suggestions may seem radical. However, the object should be a presentation that covers less but makes a compelling argument that the paper should be read.

Purpose of Presentation:

DO NOT: Present summaries of all sections of the paper.

DO: Present enough to tell the audience that the paper is worth a read – tell a good story. Focus on the contribution. Minimize discussion of sections that don’t stress what is new and different.

Presentation Format and Timing:

DO NOT: Save the punch line as a sort of surprise ending. Plan for 20 minutes in case there is extra time. Use small fonts or too many overheads.

DO: Consider starting with the conclusion and then explain why you reached it (e.g. methods/results). Provide a 1-page handout describing your contribution and key points. Plan for 10 minutes – it is easier to elaborate than to cut things out. Use fonts larger than 28 pt.

Audience Interaction:

DO NOT: Give a monologue describing your research.

DO: Create expectations that you expect active audience participation. Survey/work the audience before the session starts. Look people in the eye and talk to them (not at them). Identify issues or problems on which you would most appreciate audience input.

Introduction:

DO NOT: Focus on why you decided to do the study.

DO: Do focus on what is interesting and new about what you have learned. Do try to start off with a real-world analogy/story.

Theory:

DO NOT: Present a broad literature review (cites, etc.). Explain every arrow in a complex figure.

DO: State the problem, why it is interesting, and what you will add. Explain what is new in this model over past contributions.

Methods:

DO NOT: Describe the sample measures, and validation of instruments.

DO: Provide a summary of why the measures are linked to the theoretical construct. Establish face validity and assure that more rigorous methods were applied.

Results and Conclusions:

DO: Present what was significant (+ and – signs). Explain what the data tell you – not tests. Say broadly what we have learned and what needs to be done now. Urge the audience to read the paper for details.