On 27 February 2026, the International Conference on Corporate and Brand Heritage was held at Villa Doria d’Angri, University of Naples “Parthenope”, with the support and co-sponsorship of the Management History Division of the Academy of Management.
Framed by the question “Is old really gold?”, the conference brought together an international community of scholars and practitioners to examine how organizational history can operate as a strategic resource for contemporary organizations. Across plenary contributions, paper sessions, and discussions, participants explored how memory, archives, collections, practices, narratives, and long-standing brand identities contribute to value creation, legitimacy, reputation, and future-oriented strategic action.
The plenary session featured contributions from Mats Urde (Lund University), Fabien Pecot (Toulouse Business School), and Michael Rowlinson (University of Exeter Business School).
A central insight emerging from the conference was that corporate and brand heritage is not simply something to preserve. Rather, it represents a set of organizational assets and capabilities that must be actively governed. When managed with rigor, credibility, and accountability, heritage can strengthen organizational identity, provide continuity during strategic change, sustain reputation, and lend substance to brand promises.
The discussions also highlighted several important tensions shaping the field today, including authenticity versus instrumentalization, tradition versus innovation, and selective memory versus responsibility for complex historical legacies. The growing role of digital tools in heritage management was also addressed, particularly in relation to access to archives and collections, as well as questions of curation, governance, ownership, and accountability in the construction and circulation of organizational memory.
We acknowledge the organizing committee: Maria Rosaria Napolitano, Paola Gioia and Cecilia Pasquinelli from the University of Naples Parthenope, Alessandro De Nisco and Giada Mainolfi from the University of International Studies of Rome, Angelo Riviezzo (University of Sannio) and Antonella Garofano (University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli").
For the Management History Division, the conference provided further evidence of the vitality of research at the intersection of history and management. It showed how historical perspectives can help us understand not only what organizations have been, but also how the past continues to shape strategy, identity, legitimacy, reputation, and organizational futures.
We thank the organizers, plenary speakers, paper presenters, and participants for contributing to a rigorous and engaging program. The conference represents an important step in consolidating an international research agenda on corporate and brand heritage, and in strengthening connections between historical scholarship, management theory, and organizational practice.
