Division Constitution

ARTICLE I. NAME

The name of this organization shall be the Management Consulting Division of the Academy of Management, hereafter referred to respectively as the Division and the Academy.

ARTICLE II. PURPOSE

The Division represents all stakeholders in the consulting field— scholars, practitioners, educators, students, managers, and leaders. It is dedicated to elevating the knowledge, practice, and standards of management consulting. The Division synthesizes consulting theory and practice through the art and science of management. It fosters knowledge sharing, professional development, and ethical practices to generate original and relevant knowledge for consulting scholarship and practices.

ARTICLE III. MEMBERSHIP

Membership in the Division is open to any Academy of Management member who shares the Division’s purpose.

ARTICLE IV. OFFICERS AND THEIR PRIMARY ROLES

    1. Officers

The officers of the Division shall be elected or appointed.

a.     The elected officers of the Division shall be the Division Chair, Program Chair, PDW Chair, Immediate Past Division Chair, and seven Representatives-at-Large.

b.  The appointed officers of the Division shall be the Secretary, Historian/Archivist, Treasurer, Doctoral Consortium Coordinator, Scholar-in-Residence, Practitioner/Consultant-in-Residence, Membership Engagement, and Outreach Coordinator, and other officers appointed as the Board deems necessary.

c.   Every officer of the Division, upon election or appointment, shall attest to the Division’s Conflict of Interest Policy Statement, which the Historian/Archivist shall archive.

     2.  Executive Committee

      a.     The Executive Committee shall consist of the elected officers of the Division.

      b.     The Executive Committee shall plan meetings and activities for the Board and the Division. The Committee shall meet on an ad hoc basis.

3. Board

The Division Board shall consist of the Executive Committee and all officers appointed by the Executive Committee.

1. The Board shall approve any operating policies or procedures necessary for the functioning of the Division.
2. The Board shall appoint additional officers as needed. Designated officers shall attend Board meetings and have voting rights unless otherwise specified.
3. The Board may fill elected officer positions that become vacant before the end of a term as outlined in Article V.3.f.
4. All issues presented to the Board for a vote will be deemed approved or disapproved when:

                                                  i.     a majority of a quorum of the Board votes in the affirmative, AND

                                                 ii.     a majority of the Executive Committee quorum votes in the affirmative.

1.     If an issue receives a majority of Board votes but a minority of Executive Committee votes, it is defeated.

                                               iii.     A quorum is defined as a majority of Board and Executive Committee voting members.

5. The Board shall perform other activities as necessary to execute the responsibilities specified in this Constitution.

4.  Terms of Office of Elected Officers

1. The Professional Development Workshop (PDW) Chair, the Program Chair, the Division Chair, and the Immediate Past Division Chair shall hold office for one year.
2. The term of office shall begin at the end of the Business Meeting held at the Annual Meeting and terminate at the end of the Business Meeting at the next Annual Meeting.
3. Election to this leadership track will begin with election to PDW Chair.
4. After serving one year in their current office, the order of succession for officers in these roles shall be:

                                                  i.     PDW Chair to Program Chair.

                                                 ii.     Program Chair to Division Chair.

                                               iii.     Division Chair to Immediate Past Division Chair

e.     Should there be any qualified reason to question the expected accession of any of these officers, such reason must be brought up before the Executive Committee at least sixty (60) days before the Academy of Management Annual Meeting.

f.      The Representatives-at-Large shall be elected for two years.

g.     The terms of the seven Representatives-at-Large shall be staggered so that three to four Representatives-at-Large are elected each year.

h.     A Representative-at-Large may be nominated for no more than two (2) consecutive terms.

9. Should a vacancy occur in any office because of death, resignation, removal, disqualification, or otherwise, the Executive Committee will determine how the responsibilities of the office in question will be executed, including the appointment of a division member to serve in the position until the next election cycle or to complete the officer’s term.

5.          5.  Primary Roles of Elective Officers

The duties and responsibilities of the elected officers are provided in the “Companion Document to MCD Constitution: Elected Officers and Appointed Officers Duties and Responsibilities,” hereafter referred to as Companion Document.

a.     The Division Chair shall serve as the division's executive officer and administer all division affairs in coordination with the Division's Executive Committee and Board, the officers of the Academy of Management, and in compliance with the Academy's policies for Professional Divisions.

b.     The Program Chair shall develop and schedule the Division scholarly program at the Annual Meeting.

c.     The PDW Chair shall develop and coordinate the Division Professional Development Workshops (PDWs) and other pre-conference activities at the Annual Meeting.

d.     The Immediate Past Chair shall serve as a consultant to the Division, specifically to the Executive Committee. The officer shall also serve as the election officer and the liaison between the Board and the Legacy Committee, which comprises all the past chairs of the Division.

e.     The Representatives-at-Large shall represent the views of the general membership at Board, Executive, and Business Meetings. 

6.          6.  Terms of Office of Appointed Officers

Unless otherwise specified, all appointed officers shall serve for two years. The term of office shall begin at the close of the Business Meeting at the Annual Meeting and terminate at the close of the Business Meeting at the following Annual Meeting two years hence. Reappointment for additional terms may be made at the Executive Committee's discretion with the appointed officer's agreement.

7.          7.  Primary Roles of Appointed Officers

All Appointed Officers are voting members of the Board. The expanded duties and responsibilities of the elected officers are provided in the Companion Document.

a.     The Division Secretary shall be responsible for keeping a record of the regular meetings of the Division Board and the Division’s Annual Business Meeting.

b.     The Division Treasurer shall be responsible for all aspects of the Division’s finances and compliance with Academy of Management financial guidelines.

c.     The Division Historian/Archivist shall maintain all records pertinent to the Division's operation and history.

d.     The Doctoral Consortium Coordinator organizes, schedules, and presides over the Doctoral Student and Junior Faculty Consortia.

e.     The Scholar-in-Residence shall represent the views of scholars, educators, and researchers at Board, Executive, and Business Meetings and shall assist the Division in focusing research on the theory and history of consulting.

f.      The Practitioner/Consultant-in-Residence shall represent the views of executives and practitioner members at Board, Executive, and Business Meetings and shall assist the Division in focusing research on consulting practice.

g.     The Engagement and Outreach Coordinator shall be responsible for the engagement of existing and new members of the Division.

ARTICLE V. MEETINGS

1. Business Meetings

The Division shall hold one regularly scheduled business meeting each year at the Academy of Management Annual Meeting. This meeting is open to the Division membership, and the Board may schedule other business meetings as necessary.

2. Annual Board Meetings

The Board shall schedule a face-to-face meeting at least once a year at the Academy of Management Annual Meeting to consider policy and planning for the Division. The Board shall determine if additional meetings are necessary at the Annual Meeting. The other meetings may be either face-to-face or virtual. 

3. Monthly Board Meetings

The Board shall schedule a monthly meeting to consider the running of the Division and other matters arising. The Board shall determine if additional meetings are necessary between the monthly meetings. The monthly meetings may be face-to-face or virtual and shall be scheduled for a day and time that works for most Board members. Necessary absence from Board meetings must be communicated by email to the Division Chair at least 24 hours before the meeting. 

4. Virtual Board Meetings

Virtual Board Meetings shall be conducted electronically using communication methods or tools commonly accessible to all members and capable of recording the meeting for future referencing.

ARTICLE VI. ELECTION OF OFFICERS

1. The elected officers of the Division shall be the Division Chair, Program Chair, PDW Chair, seven Representatives-at-Large, and the Division Immediate Past Chair. The Division Chair, Program Chair, PDW Chair, and the Immediate Past Chair are not subject to new elections but assume their roles by succession, as outlined in Article IV.4.d.

2. The Nominating Committee shall consist of the Division Chair, Program Chair, PDW Chair, Immediate Past Chair, and one Representative-at-large, to be selected by the Division Chair. The Immediate Division Past Chair shall chair the Nominating Committee. The Nominating Committee shall follow the processes specified in the Constitution in nominating and electing officers.

3. The Nominating Committee shall annually, and before the end of February, send the membership a call for nominations for the positions of PDW Chair and any other elected positions that may have come open. This process is coordinated with the AOM office, which provides an online tool for collecting nominations. The candidates for PDW Chair are expected to have served actively for two years as a Representative-at-large or as a volunteer for the Division.

4. Only members of the Division shall be eligible for nomination for election as a PDW Chair, Program Chair, Division Chair, or Immediate Past Division Chair.

5. The Nomination Committee shall ensure that nominated candidates represent the Division’s global membership and reflect the segments of the Division's community.

6. There will be a maximum of three names on the election ballot for each open position. In addition to the name or names submitted through the nomination process, the Nominating Committee may suggest one or two additional names based on the Nominating Committee's judgment of the potential leadership contributions nominees might make to the Division. It shall be the responsibility of the Chair of the Nominating Committee to ensure that everyone appearing on the ballot is a member of the Division and is willing and able to serve the full term in the position for which he or she is nominated.

7. No more than two elected officers may simultaneously serve from the same institution or affiliated institutions. Therefore, no individual employed, associated, or affiliated at the same institution or affiliated institutions as two current officers may be placed on the ballot.

8. No person can appear on the final ballot as a nominee for more than one office. If the nomination process results in a person qualifying as a nominee for more than one office, this person will be a nominee for the office s/he designates.

9. If no one is nominated for an open position, the nominee(s) declines the nomination(s), or the nominee(s) are not appropriate for the position, the Nominating Committee shall develop a slate of candidates for that position, subject to Article VI.4 and 5.

10. The election ballot will alphabetically list the candidates for each position by last name. The ballot will also include a brief biographical sketch (maximum 250 words) and a picture of each candidate running for a specific position.

11. The Immediate Division Past Chair shall coordinate the election with the Academy staff members to conduct the election by electronic ballot.

12. The results shall be communicated to the membership immediately upon completion of the election after the Immediate Division Past Chair has personally notified the candidates of the outcome.

13. The vote count shall be considered confidential and not disseminated further.

ARTICLE VII. REMOVAL OF OFFICERS

1.     A two-thirds vote of the Board members may remove an elected officer. 

2.     A vote for removal may be initiated by a majority vote of the Executive Committee or a petition submitted to the Division Executive Committee bearing verified signatures of 10% of Division members in good standing as of 1 July in the year during which the petition is submitted.

3.     Should an officer be the subject of the removal process, the Division Chair or a designated Leadership Committee member shall contact the Academy governance staff in writing not later than three days after the Executive Committee or Board has voted to initiate the removal process. 

4.     Should the Immediate Division Past Chair be removed, an interim Division Past Chair shall be nominated from the Legacy Committee membership. Should the Division Chair be removed, the Immediate Division Past Chair, in addition to the duties and responsibilities of that office, shall also act as the Interim Division Chair. Should the Program Chair be removed, the Division Chair, in addition to the duties and responsibilities of that office, shall also serve as Interim Program Chair. Should the PDW Chair be removed, the Program Chair, in addition to the duties and responsibilities of that office, shall also act as the Interim PDW Chair. 

5.     The Nominating Committee shall conduct the removal vote, ensure a fair vote, and report the results to the membership. 

6.     Should a sitting officer be removed in this manner, the Executive Committee shall determine the disposition of the officer’s duties during the remainder of the term, subject to Article IV.4.i.

7.     Should a member of the Nominating Committee be the subject of the removal process, the Executive Committee shall replace that individual with an appropriate Division Member for the duration of the process.

8.     A majority vote of Board members may remove an appointed member of the Board.

9.     The Board shall, from time to time, determine, document, and update a list of offenses and circumstances that may lead to the removal of elected and appointed members from office. 

ARTICLE VIII. COMMITTEE STRUCTURE

1. The Division Chair shall be assisted in policy formulation and Division operation by such standing and special committees as are authorized in the Constitution.

2.               2. Standing committees shall include the Executive Committee, Leadership Committee, Program Committee,       Nominating Committee, Legacy Committee, Marketing and Communications Committee, and Awards Committee. 

a.     The Executive Committee shall consist of all elected officers.

b.     The Leadership Committee shall consist of the Division Chair, the Division Program Chair, the Division PDW Chair, and the Immediate Division Past Chair.

c.     The Program Committee shall consist of the Division Chair, the Program Chair, the PDW Chair, and the Doctoral Consortium Coordinator.

d.     The composition of the Nominating Committee is specified in Article VI.2.

e.     The Legacy Committee shall comprise all past Division Chairs.

f.      The respective chairs of other committees shall recruit/appoint members of their committees as necessary, subject to this Constitution. 

3.                3. The Division Chair may appoint special committees, with the Executive Committee's advice, as necessary. The life of all such committees shall expire with the completion of the specified assignment. Any committee with a life longer than one year shall have its charge and membership outlined in the Companion Document. 

ARTICLE IX. AMENDMENTS

1.     Amendments to this Constitution may be proposed (a) by a vote of three-fifths of the Executive Committee or (b) by a written request signed by five percent (5%) of the voting members of the Division that the Division Chair authorize a ballot on the proposed amendment.

2.     This Constitution may be amended at any time by a two-thirds vote of the Board members. However, no amendment shall be considered adopted unless ten percent (10%) of the Division's members have voted on the proposed amendment. This vote shall be taken by mail ballot under conditions that will ensure its secrecy and accuracy.

3.     Any proposals to amend this Constitution must be submitted to the members at least thirty (30) days before the closing date of the ballot. The ballot results must be reported at the next business meeting.

4.     Changes to the Companion Document shall require a two-thirds vote of the Executive Committee and the Board.