Constitution and Bylaws

CONSTITUTION OF THE ENTREPRENEURSHIP DIVISION OF THE ACADEMY OF MANAGEMENT

As amended as of May 2015

Article I - NAME

The name of this organization shall be the Entrepreneurship Division of the Academy of Management, hereinafter referred to as the Division.

Article II - PURPOSE

The general purpose of the Division is to promote scholarship and advances in the field of entrepreneurship; that is, in the purposeful activity of initiating, developing, and maintaining an enterprise. Among topics of interest are new venture opportunities, strategies, and resources; ecological influences on new ventures; the owner-manager; the relationship between entrepreneurship and economic development; family business; corporate entrepreneurship; and international entrepreneurship.

The specific activities of the Division shall include:

(1) Encouraging and supporting research, with special emphasis on empirical research, related to entrepreneurship;

(2) Promoting and conducting the interchange of information concepts, ideas and research results among those academicians and practitioners interested in entrepreneurship;

(3) Promoting and conducting the interchange of information and views on issues and approaches relating to the teaching of entrepreneurship;

(4) Such other activities and services as are deemed useful by the officers and membership in advancing the state of knowledge and practice in the field of entrepreneurship.

Section 1. The vision of the Division is, "We grow entrepreneurship scholars."

Section 2. The mission of the Division is, "We are a network of entrepreneurship scholars that supports the professional development of our members who create and disseminate knowledge."

Section 3. The Division adds value through scholarship, collegiality, professional growth, inclusiveness, and an enterprising mindset.

Article III - MEMBERS

Membership in the Division is open to members in good standing of the Academy of Management. Membership status in the Division is determined by the division membership rules of the parent body, the Academy of Management.

Article IV - OFFICERS

Section 1. Officers. The officers of the division are elected and appointed to serve the best interests of the membership whom they represent. The officers of the Division are the Chair, a Chair-Elect, the Immediate Past Chair, the Program Chair, the Assistant Program Chair, the Treasurer, the Secretary and a number of elected Representatives-at-Large proportional to the annual Division membership. These officers should perform the duties prescribed by this Constitution and by the parliamentary authority adopted by the Division.

Section 2. Duties of the Officers.

(a) Chair. The Chair will serve for a term of one year. The Chair is the chief executive officer of the Division and is responsible for administering all affairs of the division with policy guidance from the Continuity Council, the Executive Committee and the President-Elect of the Academy of Management and under the rules of the Division's Constitution and the bylaws of the parent organization. The Chair will preside at all meetings of the Division, but may delegate this responsibility to the Chair-Elect or any other individual at her/his discretion. The Chair is responsible for presenting a report on the status and progress of the Division at its annual meeting. The Chair, with the input and assistance of the Continuity Council, will prepare the five year Division report to the parent organization. The Chair will appoint all Division standing committees, establish Representative-at-Large work assignments and convene any ad hoc committees deemed necessary to fulfill the object of the Division. The Chair cannot be nominated to the Assistant Program Chair position until at least two years after her/his term as Immediate Past Chair has expired. The Chair shall be an ex-officio member of all committees, except for the Nominating Committee.

(b) Chair-Elect. The Chair-Elect will serve for a term of one year and will succeed the current Chair upon the conclusion of the annual meeting. The Chair-Elect shall act for the Chair in case of the Chair's absence or disability. The Chair-Elect will supervise all Division awards processes to ensure that the process complies with relevant guidelines and best practice, and also will coordinate appointments of standing and ad hoc committee chairs and members for the coming year and perform such other duties as may be agreed upon with the Chair, or as provided in the Constitution.

(c) The Program Chair. The Program Chair will serve a one year term. The Program Chair succeeds as Chair-Elect upon the closing of the annual meeting. The Program Chair is responsible for planning and supervising the Division's program at the Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management subject to the guidelines established by the Academy of Management and the Executive Committee of the Division. The Program Chair shall also perform such duties as may be agreed upon with the Chair and Chair-Elect or as provided in the Constitution.

(d) The Assistant Program Chair. The Assistant Program Chair is elected by the membership to serve a one year term. The Assistant Program Chair succeeds as Program Chair upon the closing of the annual meeting. The Assistant Program Chair is responsible for coordinating pre-conference activities that are a part of the Division's program at the Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management subject to the guidelines established by the Academy of Management and the Executive Committee of the Division. The Assistant Program Chair shall also perform such duties as may be agreed upon with the Chair and Chair-Elect or as provided in the Constitution.

(e) The Immediate Past Chair. The Immediate Past Chair serves as a counselor to the Chair, the Chair of the Continuity Council, and also as the Chair of the Nominating Committee, and in this last capacity is thereby responsible for conducting and certifying the annual election. The Immediate Past Chair shall also perform such duties as may be agreed upon with the Chair or as provided in the Constitution.

(f) Treasurer. The Treasurer is elected by the membership to serve a three year term. The Treasurer shall have charge and custody of and be responsible for all funds of the Division. The Treasurer cannot disburse funds or make monetary commitments except by authority of the Division or as the Constitution prescribes. The Treasurer will receive and give receipts for monies due and payable to the Division and will deposit all such monies in the name of the Division in accordance with the Constitution and policies of the Division and the bylaws of the Academy of Management. The Treasurer will make a full financial report to the membership at the annual meeting and make interim reports as the Chair and Executive Committee may direct. The Treasurer will in general perform all the duties incident to the office of Treasurer and such other duties as from time to time may be assigned by the Chair.

(g) Secretary. The Secretary of the Division is appointed by the Chair and will serve a three year renewable term at the Chair's discretion. The Secretary will keep the minutes of the meetings of the Division and the Executive Committee and make them available to the membership. The Secretary is also responsible for keeping the official records of the Division including the membership roll, unless responsibility for such is specifically assigned to others, for example in the case of the financial records of the Division being the responsibility of the Treasurer; and in general will perform all duties incident to the office of Secretary and such other duties as from time to time may be agreed upon with the Chair or as provided in the Constitution.

(h) Representatives at Large. Representatives-at-Large will be elected by the membership based on one per 250 members up to a Division membership of 2500, and one additional Representative-at-Large per 500 members for membership in excess of 2500, to a total number established at the annual meeting by the current year membership list provided by the Academy of Management. The purpose of the Representatives-at-Large position is to represent the general membership in the activities of the Division. The Representatives-at-Large will report to the Chair. Representatives-at-Large duties include serving as line officers to lead committees or committee clusters, serving as committee members, fulfilling formal ambassadorial duties on behalf of the Division, as well as performing such other duties as may be assigned by the Chair or as provided in the Constitution.

Section 3. Nomination and Election of Officers. The Immediate Past Chair of the Division will serve as the Chair of the Nominating Committee for the purpose of electing officers of the Division. The membership of the Nominating Committee will consist of a total of four (4) additional Division members appointed by the Chair of the Nominating Committee including three Representatives-at-Large and one other past chair of the Division.

Each year the Nominating Committee will solicit nominations from the Division membership for Division elected officer positions to be placed on the ballot before April 15th of the year. Candidates for office must be members of the Division at the time of the election and they must consent to having their name placed on the ballot. The slate drafted by the Nominating Committee should represent the membership and contain candidates committed to fulfill the responsibilities reflected in this Constitution and the Division's policy manual. On announcement by the Nominating Committee of the slate of nominations for elected officer positions, members of the division will be given 14 days to submit further nominations to the Nominating Committee on petition of 1% of the Division membership in good standing before a ballot is released to the membership for consideration.

Nominations will be closed as of the date set by the Academy of Management as parent organization and, as shortly thereafter as feasible, but by April 15th, the Immediate Past Chair will submit a ballot to the membership to enable a voting period from April 15th to May 15th. For an officer role with one available opening, the candidate receiving the most votes is elected. If there are multiple positions in one role to be filled, for example, in the case of the Representatives-at-Large, the officer positions will be filled by that set of candidates receiving the most votes in the category up to the number of positions available. In the event of a tie, the Immediate Past Chair will cast the deciding vote. The election process will be deemed official when a letter certifying the results has been presented to the Chair by the Immediate Past Chair.

Article V - EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Section 1. Executive Committee Composition. Voting members of the Executive Committee of the Division will be composed of the officers of the Division, the Chairs of the standing committees, the Historian and the Parliamentarian. The Chair of the Division also serves as Chair of the Executive Committee. In addition, the Executive Committee can have non-voting, ex-officio members as appointed by the Chair. Chairs of standing committees may designate a proxy member of their committee to vote in their stead in the case they are absent from official meetings of the Division. All Executive Committee members must be members of the Division at the time of their election and/or appointment and they should maintain their membership throughout their term of service.

Section 2. Executive Committee Duties and Powers. The Executive Committee is the policy-making body of the Division. The Executive Committee works in conjunction with the Chair to carry on the work of the Division. Specific duties include recommending guidelines for the conference and preĀ­conference programming of Division activities at the annual meeting of the Academy of Management to the appropriate officers; discussing and setting Division strategy; maintaining the currency and usefulness of the policy manual; considering the recall and removal from office of officers; and other specific duties as specified in this Constitution.

Section 3. Executive Committee Meetings. The Executive Committee will meet during the annual meeting of the Academy of Management separate from the Division annual meeting. As called by the Chair, the Executive Committee will also meet during the winter. Usually the Chair will convene the Executive Committee, but Executive Committee meetings will also be convened by the Chair at the written request of three members of the Executive Committee. Such special meetings may, as determined by the Division Chair, be conducted by conference call where necessary and appropriate.

Section 4. Quorum and Meeting Format. A quorum of the Executive Committee is defined as twelve (12) voting members attending any meeting. Meetings may be held in person or via technology.

Section 5. The Operating Committee of the Executive Committee. The Operating Committee of the Executive Committee is chaired by the Chair of the Division and is comprised of the elected officers of the Division. The purpose of the Operating Committee is to serve as an emergency decision-making body that can be nimble in responding to crises and opportunities. Actions of the Operating Committee, although having the force of policy, may be overturned by a meeting of the Executive Committee or by an annual or special meeting. Meetings of the Operating Committee may be held in person or via technology.

Section 6. Additional Members of the Executive Committee.

(a) Historian. The Historian is appointed by the Chair to serve a 5 year renewable term. The primary duty of the Historian is to develop and contribute institutional memory to the workings of the Division by chairing the Historian's Committee, overseeing the fulfillment of the responsibilities of that body, and performing additional duties as may be agreed upon with the Chair or as provided in the Constitution.

(b) Parliamentarian. The Parliamentarian is appointed by the Chair to serve a 5 year renewable term. Duties include assisting the Chair in the conduct of Division business according to the Constitution and as prescribed in Article IX; maintaining and making available an up-to-date copy of the Division Constitution and the Division Policy Manual on request; assisting the Chair in the preparation of revisions to either document; and performing additional duties as may be agreed upon with the Chair or as provided in the Constitution.

Article VI - COMMITTEE STRUCTURE

Section 1. The standing committees of the Division will include (1) the Executive, (2) the Continuity Council, (3) Teaching, (4) Research, (5) Communications, (6) Membership, (7) Nominating, (8) Operating, (9) Event Logistics and Planning (10) Awards, (11) Global Scholar Development, (12) Practitioner Scholar, (13) Historian, (14) Program Committee and any other ad-hoc committees as deemed necessary as appointed by the Chair. The establishment, responsibilities and membership of the committees will be established as agreed upon by the Executive Committee, and be described in the Policy Manual of the Division except as otherwise specified in this Constitution. All committee members must be members of the division at the time of their appointment and they should maintain their membership throughout their term of service.

Article VII: RESIGNATION, RECALL AND REPLACEMENT OF OFFICERS AND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Section 1. Resignations. A member of the Executive Committee, either elected or appointed, may resign before the expiration of her/his term of office by written notification to the Chair of the Division, or in the case of a Chair's resignation, notification to the Immediate Past Chair.

Section 2. Recall. An elected or appointed officer of the Division may be recalled by written request of five voting members of the Executive Committee or by a minimum of five percent (5%) of the membership of the Division signing a declaration submitted to the Chair, or, in the case of the Chair, to the Immediate Past Chair. An elected or appointed officer who has been recalled can be removed from office by a written vote of a minimum of two-thirds of the Executive Committee, excluding the recalled officer and any vacant positions on the committee. In all cases, and before any written vote is taken, the officer subject to the recall will be afforded the opportunity to respond to the recall request. A letter will be sent notifying the member and giving the member ten (10) working days to submit a statement in writing to the Executive Committee.

Section 3. Replacements. If the Chair resigns or otherwise is removed from office, the Chair-Elect will succeed to the office of Chair. If the office of Chair-Elect becomes vacant, the Nominating Committee will propose and conduct an election for a new Chair-Elect as quickly as possible following the process specified for nomination and election of officers in this Constitution. If the office of Program Chair or Assistant Program Chair becomes vacant, the Division Chair will appoint an acting officer until the Nominating Committee can complete a new election following the process specified for nomination and election of officers in this Constitution. If the office of Immediate Past Chair becomes vacant, that office will remain vacant until its term expires, and the Division Chair will carry out the functions of the Immediate Past Chair. Other vacancies on the Executive Committee will be filled by interim appointments by the Chair for the unexpired terms of the vacant positions.

Article VIII - MEETINGS

Section 1. Annual Meetings. The annual meeting of the Division will be held concurrently with the Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management and will be used for the purpose of receiving reports of officers and committees, and for any other business that may arise.

Section 2. Special Meetings. Special meetings of the general membership may be called by the Chair, a majority of the membership of the Executive Committee, or upon the written request of 10% of the membership of the Division to the Chair. The purpose of the meeting shall be stated in the call. Except in cases of emergency, at least fourteen days notice will be given.

Article IX - PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY

The rules contained in the current edition of the Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the Division in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with this Constitution and any special rules of order the Division may adopt.

Article X - AMENDMENT OF THE CONSTITUTION

Any provision of this Constitution may be amended by a majority vote of Division members in good standing who return a ballot sponsored by the Nominating Committee, the Executive Committee or the Chair. The proposed effective date of the ballot measure will be included in the ballot. The election process will be deemed official when a letter certifying the results is presented by the Immediate Past Chair to the Chair and this should occur within 14 days of the close of the election.

This version is approved by vote of the membership of the Entrepreneurship Division of the Academy of Management. Vote held via internet on Academy of Management website (www.aom.pace.edu) with ballots accepted 4/15/15-5/15/15. For the motion to merge the Scholar Development Committee and the International Committee to form the Global Scholar Development Committee 512 voted yes, 28 voted no. For the motion to rename the Nontraditional Academic Committee to the Practitioner-Scholar Committee 535 voted yes, 5 voted no.

The vote approves the new constitution as presented.

Susan Young, Parliamentarian; May 15, 2015