What if OMT Actually Mattered?

Drawing on my 2026 OMT Distinguished Scholar address, I address the question, what if organization and management theory (OMT) actually mattered? Amidst maladies including a growing publication treadmill, salami-sliced research, misconduct, and a peer-review crisis made worse by generative AI, I argue that we as scholars should ask bigger questions that matter for people and policy. In doing so, I argue that we should become more politically engaged, urging us to also become more inclusive of Global South scholars and scholarship. Using examples related to emancipatory entrepreneurship, alternative mental health treatments, stigmatized work, and AI's effects on inequality, democracy and warfare, I highlight the kinds of research questions we might address as a field, emphasizing the importance of theory alongside more practical and political engagement. I also call for reforms in scholarly evaluation to value quality and real-world impact over the number of papers published.