MSR Founders Narrative and Content Analysis of Scholarly Papers: 2000–2015

This is a founders’ narrative and research paper content analysis of the first 15 years of the Management Spirituality and Religion Interest Group (MSR) of the Academy of Management. Based on archival data and founder interviews, our inquiry recounts how the early collaborators established the Interest Group. The founders interviewed were identified through preliminary inquiry and from archival sources. As complement and extension, we concurrently conducted a content analysis of the 15 years of MSR Best Papers and Carolyn Dexter Award MSR nominated papers for Academy internationalization: a corpus epitomizing MSR research and practice. The combined study is a benchmark of founding and institutionalization for current and potential MSR members. By tracing the research trends MSR has taken in light of the founding aspirations, we illuminate the distinctive values, tensions, and meanings of spirituality in management practices that infuse MSR with its enduring organizational vitality.