MSR Founding Narratives and Content Analysis of Best/Dexter Award Nominee Papers (2001-2015)

This is a narrative study of the founding and a research content analysis of the first 15 years of the Management Spirituality and Religion Interest Group (MSR) of the Academy of Management. Our inquiry assessed the ways in which the early collaborators established the Interest Group from archival data and founder interviews. The individuals interviewed were identified through preliminary inquiry and from archival data. As a complement of and extension to this inclusive founding narrative, we conducted a content and discourse analysis of the 15 years of MSR Best Papers and Carolyn Dexter Best International Award nominated papers. Taken together, our study is an important benchmark of founding and institutionalization for MSR members and potential members, while serving as an indicator of emerging trends in the research domain. By tracing the particular research paths that MSR has taken in light of its founding aspirations, we illuminate the distinctive values, tensions, management practices, and skills that give MSR its organizational vitality.