Candid Discussions on Legitimacy: Closing Gaps, Opening New Questions

By Sonia Siraz and Björn Claes

The Candid Discussions on Legitimacy PDW returned to AOM this year in Philadelphia for its second edition, following its debut in Copenhagen. Given the strong interest and engagement, we hope to make it a regular session.

The discussion centered on six foundational questions: what legitimacy is, why it matters, who confers it and how, which criteria evaluators use, how legitimacy changes over time, and where the field should go next. Rather than resolving these questions, one insight stood out: closing gaps in one area often opens new ones elsewhere.

We also examined the tension between refining core constructs and introducing new ones, as well as the relationship between legitimacy and related social evaluations such as authenticity or stigma.

A recurring concern was how journal communities shape what research gains visibility. The field risks overlooking valuable insights if publication outlet becomes a proxy for contribution. The Legitimacy Hub and the Legitimacy Café can help surface important research across different journals, contexts, and methodological traditions.

We were delighted by the strong turnout and especially grateful to have Mark Suchman join us.

Thank you to our panelists and participants for the thoughtful questions and candid exchange. We look forward to continuing the conversation next year in Vienna!

And if these questions resonate with your own research agenda, mark your calendar: the 5th International Workshop on Organizational Legitimacy will be held at IE Business School in Madrid next year.

See you there!