The Academy of Management Review is the premiere theoretical journal in the field of management. This is a major honor for Haxhi, the entire section, and the Amsterdam Business School of the University of Amsterdam.

Professor Haxhi received the award for the article After the Collapse: Spontaneous Institutionalization and the Emergence of Market Institutions, co-authored with professors Miguel Rivera-Santos and Carlos Rufín.
Receiving the Best Paper Award in such a top journal is a major recognition of Haxhi’s contribution to management theory. ‘This came as such a wonderful surprise’, Haxhi said. ‘We put our hearts into this paper, and we are so proud to see it published in AMR. But it never crossed our minds that it could be selected as the winner of the 2025 Best Paper Award. It definitely gives us energy to keep working on our research.’

The winning article examines how market institutions can arise after a complete institutional collapse. It shows how everyday exchanges between individuals can gradually create shared norms, trust and rules for trade. These processes can eventually develop into broader market institutions, even without the direction of powerful organisations or public authorities.
The research offers insights for organisations working in highly resource-constrained settings, including refugee camps and other contexts affected by institutional breakdown.

This recognition underlines the quality and international impact of research of Haxhi’s ongoing research agenda, as well as research at Amsterdam Business School. It also demonstrates the contribution of the Strategy and International Business section to leading research in management.

Read more about the research in the earlier news item: How institutions can emerge spontaneously after a collapse.