Contemporary management research stands at a turning point. Many dominant theories of organisations, leadership, and governance were built on assumptions of stability, growth, and control—assumptions increasingly challenged by ecological crisis, social inequality, geopolitical instability, and rapid technological change. While management scholarship has advanced efficiency and value creation, it has paid less attention to resilience, historical responsibility, and long-term sustainability. The task now is not simply to refine existing models, but to rethink the foundations of management theory.

The theme of the European Academy of Management (EURAM) Conference 2027, “Rising Above,” responds to this need. It invites scholars and practitioners to question inherited assumptions and imagine new ways of organising and leading amid persistent uncertainty. “Rising Above” is not about optimism alone, but about transcending conceptual limits that constrain how management engages with today’s grand challenges.

The Netherlands offers a powerful metaphor. Living largely below sea level, Dutch society has long faced water as both a threat and an opportunity. Through collective ingenuity—building dikes, reclaiming land, and pioneering advanced water management—it has demonstrated resilience as an ongoing, socially embedded process. This example inspires three interconnected priorities: embracing resilience, reimagining history, and leading toward sustainability.

First, resilience means the capacity to adapt, innovate, and act decisively in crisis. As disruption becomes the norm, organisations must move beyond incremental change toward bold approaches to governance and leadership.

Second, “Rising Above” calls for critical engagement with history. Management theories and practices reflect past power structures, including colonial extraction and exclusionary systems. Addressing these legacies is essential to aligning economic performance with ethical responsibility and inclusion.

Finally, the theme underscores sustainability. As climate change intensifies, traditional business models fall short. Management must be understood not merely as technical expertise but as a moral and political practice that shapes regenerative, just, and sustainable futures.