11th Medici Summer School

We are pleased to announce the organization of the 11th edition of the Medici Summer School in Management Studies for doctoral students and young researchers  which will be held in Paris, France, June 16 – June 21, 2019. The school is organized and sponsored by Bologna Business School (University of Bologna), HEC Paris (Society and Organizations Research Center and the HEC Foundation), and MIT Sloan School of Management (Economic Sociology PhD Program).

This year, the theme will be :

Commercialization of Art and Science

Culture and science are often thought of as radically different domains. But among the things they share is a tension with organizations and markets. Rare is the scientist or the cultural producer who declares that they are motivated by profit; and rare is the account of science or culture that begins with the role of the organizations and institutions that facilitate its production and distribution. And yet especially in today’s world, where the commercialization of scientific discovery is widely thought to be of critical importance; and where many more are pursuing careers in art worlds than ever before, such organizations and institutions have a crucial role to play.

For social scientists, the challenges and opportunities associated with the commercialization of culture and science offer extraordinary opportunities to explore new ideas, relationships and logics of organizing while also having a positive impact. They also present opportunities to engage with unorthodox methodologies that are often needed to tackle complex causal interdependences that cut across social, technical, political as well as disciplinary boundaries.

The purpose of “The 2019 Medici Summer School” is to bring together leading researchers who are focused on advancing our knowledge on the organizations and institutions that serve as vehicles and as settings for the commercialization of science or of culture. In particular, our goal is to discuss cutting-edge organizational research that sheds new light on theoretical mechanisms, processes as well as methodological approaches that can enhance our understanding of major questions. This theme choice reflects a sense of excitement about what can and has been learned from comparing and contrasting the domains of science and culture and how each intersects with the market.

Some of the topics and questions that will be discussed include (but are not limited to) the following:

•    What are the key institutions responsible for commercialization success?
•    How do players in the domain respond to massive uncertainty regarding the valuation of ideas and products?
•    What is the role played by norms against the pursuit of profit?
•    What strategies are available for various players in each “value chain” and what are associated challenges?
•    How do new ideas and approaches arise in the domain given the particular challenges associated with the domain?
•    To the extent that culture and science are similar as vehicles and settings for commercialization, what does this teach us about their similarities and differences?
•    How has each domain changed as a result of increased commercialization?
•    What role do social networks play in facilitating or impeding commercialization?
•    What role do universities and non-profit institutions play?

Overall, the goal of the 2019 edition of the Medici Summer School is to shed light on the role of organizations and institutions as vehicles and settings for the commercialization of culture and science. The 2019 Medici Summer School is to equip students with theoretical and methodological tools that will enable them to untangle a complex theoretical landscape, define the key questions, identify open puzzles, and delineate the central ideas for a future agenda devoted to understanding the commercialization of culture and science. To this end, the 2019 Medici Summer School brings together interdisciplinary scholarship at multiple levels of analysis to shed light on organizational tensions and market challenges associated with the commercialization of culture and science. By learning from different theoretical and empirical approaches, we believe attendees will substantially enrich their particular research agendas

For further information :

Agenda and Application

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Medici Summer School

Launched in 2009, the Medici Summer School in Management Studies for doctoral students and young researchers is designed to promote doctoral education and research in organization theory and related fields (economic sociology, management studies, strategy) and contribute to the development of enlightened practice in the management of business organizations.

The Summer School advocates a special focus on cross-fertilizing research across North American and European traditions. It is a unique educational program for qualified doctoral students interacting with thought leaders in the management field who have shared their knowledge and wisdom on frontier research topics.
The Medici Summer School combines lectures and research seminars by prominent international scholars with an active engagement of participant students. Every day of the one-week program is scheduled to end with the presentation of students’ work related to the topic of the School, with a panel of senior faculty providing feedback.

Partners

The Summer School is organized and sponsored by MIT Sloan School of Management (Economic Sociology PhD Program), BBS (University of Bologna Business School) and HEC Paris (Society and Organizations Research Center and the HEC Foundation).