The meeting theme, "Green Management Matters," encourages us to consider how our ongoing scholarly activities-including teaching, research and service--might shape and be shaped by society's increasing concern about responsible stewardship of the natural environment. For many of us, the connection between our work and the issue of environmental sustainability is not obvious. Yet making this connection might be a powerful means to increasing the relevance of our scholarship, examine the important relationship between management and environmental sustainability, and consider the question of how our work can inform managers and students who wish to better understand why and how "Green Management Matters."

Of course, with a theme like, "Green Management Matters," 2009 should be a year when we take significant steps toward greening the conference itself. Chicago is well-positioned to help the Academy of Management host a conference that reflects the theme, and the AOM headquarters staff is already discussing greening ideas with the many hotels and vendors involved. In addition, AOM members can participate directly by volunteering to serve on the Local Arrangements Committee's "Greening the Meeting" subcommittee. Chaired by Gordon Rands ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ), the subcommittee will develop and help implement specific proposals to illustrate how the theme applies to our own conference.