I don't disagree with that. My point was that if Sheep had gotten an explanation from the editor first, then his comments could have reflected some of the information he received. It would have been more powerful, i think, if he had been able to say.... After communicating with the Newletter editor, I understand that there are very few submissions to our newsletter and that we have no editorial policy concerning its content, I now understand why the feature article was published in our newletter and I want to raise some questions about .....
That would have been, I think, a more effective way to proceed.
-----Original Message-----
From: Management, Spirituality & Religion
[mailto:
MSR@AOMLISTS.PACE.EDU]On Behalf Of Bill M. Cooke
Sent: Wednesday, April 18, 2007 2:28 AM
To:
MSR@AOMLISTS.PACE.EDU
Subject: Re: Questions about the Winter MSR newsletter
The thing is, the original article was published in a public forum, so with
respect John, I think it not only appropriate, but very healthy that the
response was too. I have found the ensuing discussion very interesting.
Bill Cooke
Quoting John Bunch <
jbunch@BENEDICTINE.EDU>:
> I have followed this discussion with interest. I teach management as well
> as business ethics and social responsibility. One issue that I do not think
> has surfaced that I am concerned about concerns how to provide feedback or
> raise questions about things you are dissatisfied with. Praise publically,
> provide negative or constructive feedback privately is one of the rules of
> effective feedback and also denotes respect for the persons involved. What
> should have been the first step in this inquiry? Personally, I would have
> recommended communication with the editors of our Newsletter to inquire
> about the process they used to decide to include the article about Anna.
> Perhaps communication with the author of the article himself to inquire
> about what his intended purpose was when he wrote his piece and why he
> thought the MSR newsletter was an appropriate formum for its publication
> would have also been a good idea. This correspondence would have very
> likely generated important information about the issues Prof. Sheep
> presented in his posting that might have resolved the issues outright or
> allowed us all to productively discuss his concerns when he presented them.
>
> As a first step, however, I question whether a posting to a public forum
> such as the MSR list was the right move. It seems that that initial
> posting was based on more that one assumption (i.e. that there was some
> unstated intent to publishing the article or that the editors explicitly
> thought about how the article fit with the mission of the group) that
> require inspection and validation.
>
> ANYWAY, as we move forward with the discussion that the posting has
> generated, I would ask that we keep in mind how the nature of our postings
> and their tone reflect on MSR as a community.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Management, Spirituality & Religion [mailto:
MSR@AOMLISTS.PACE.EDU]On
> Behalf Of Mathew Sheep
> Sent: Monday, April 16, 2007 5:56 PM
> To:
MSR@AOMLISTS.PACE.EDU
> Subject: Re: Questions about the Winter MSR newsletter
>
>
> Lee,
> I certainly concur. No one should fear the free expression of religious
> sentiments/beliefs if presented as personal opinion/dialogue and not as a
> de-contextualized assertion of "truth" claims. As I tried to emphasize in
> my first e-mail, it is the lack of editorial framing and context that is
> disturbing (and I mean that very generally, not as a personal disparagement
> to anyone). In a setting of spiritual/religious pluralism with all of the
> sensitivities that is bound to imply, it seems to me that everyone should
> feel welcome to bring something to the table. However, the overall context
> should be carefully and watchfully preserved as being neutral territory,
> free of singular or ulterior religious agendas, and thoroughly open to
> critical review and scientific rigor (as much as we can possibly make it).
> Preliminary remarks and transparent framing of the purposes behind
> presenting such material to such an audience is key.
> Best regards,
> Mathew
>
> Mathew L. Sheep, Ph.D.
> Assistant Professor of Management
> College of Business
> Illinois State University
> Campus Box 5580
> Illinois State University
> Normal, IL 61790-5580
> Phone. (309) 438-3468
> E-mail.
msheep@ilstu.edu
>
>
> On 4/16/07, Lee Robbins <
LeeRobbins@post.harvard.edu> wrote:
> Hi all,
> It occurs to me that perhaps the problem was not so much the publication
> of the article but the context. If we framed it as an interesting variant
> of religion presented from the perspective of a committed adherent and then
> asked some questions about the implications for management from the rise of
> such new variants — rather than a mainstream part of the newsletter — I
> think it might at least reduce the difficulty.
> Lee Robbins
>
> Dr. Lee Robbins
> Professor of Management
> Golden Gate University School of Business
> 536 Mission St.
> San Francisco, CA. 94105
>
> cell: 415-713-1341
> 415-552-9800, 415-442-7027
> work FAX: 415-442-6579
> <
LeeRobbins@post.Harvard.edu >
> <
LRobbins@ggu.edu>
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> From: Stacie Chappell <
stacie.chappell@UWA.EDU.AU>
> Reply-To: <
stacie.chappell@uwa.edu.au>
> Date: Fri, 13 Apr 2007 18:24:02 +0800
> To: <
MSR@AOMLISTS.PACE.EDU>
> Subject: Re: Questions about the Winter MSR newsletter
>
>
> Matthew – Thank you for raising the issues you have below – seems like
> an opportunity to further define what types of articles/writing are of
> interest in the newsletter. I understand and generally agree with your
> reaction, AND part of me thinks that the article does make an interesting
> contribution – worthy of a newsletter, albeit definitely not written in an
> academic style or appropriate for a journal. The article claims to
> introduce the reader to an interesting and powerful individual, and does
> that through anecdotes and personal reflection – unfortunately, a lot of
> unsupported assertions are also included. Academic rigor of the article
> aside, Amma plays a powerful role in spiritual practice around the world. I
> was introduced to her traveling hug show (by my PHD supervisor no less). She
> is an interesting person and her ministry, as others, poses a number of
> questions – definitely worthy of our gentle awareness, the phenomenon
> perhaps even worthy of more research.
>
> A humble opinion,
> Stacie
>
>
>
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> From: Management, Spirituality & Religion [mailto:
MSR@AOMLISTS.PACE.EDU]
> On Behalf Of Mathew Sheep
> Sent: Thursday, 12 April 2007 1:19 AM
> To:
MSR@AOMLISTS.PACE.EDU
> Subject: Questions about the Winter MSR newsletter
>
>
> Dear colleagues,
>
>
>
> Please forgive me, but I must totally misunderstand the purpose of
> Management, Spirituality, and Religion Interest Group in the Academy of
> Management. I was under the impression that we are about the scientific
> study of human spirituality in specific contexts of the management
> discipline (strategy, organizational behavior, etc.). Bob Giacalone's and
> Carole Jurkiewicz's opening chapter in their excellent handbook at least led
> me to believe that.
>
> With that understanding, I am completely baffled at the tone and
> declarations of the "Feature Article" of our most recent newsletter (Winter,
> 2007): "An Introduction To Mata Amritanandamayi," by Ramnath Narayanswamy.
> I respect the fact that people can believe whatever they choose to believe,
> and I uphold religious and spiritual diversity in the highest possible way.
> If we are ever to realize a "spiritual" workplace that is enhancing to all
> individuals, then we must respect all faiths—including non-faith—not
> prescribe one (especially not one that is attached to a specific, singular
> human being).
>
> The MSR Feature Article does not take the position of acknowledging
> diversity but rather makes a rather bold claim of subsuming all diversity
> under the "Divine Mother" known as "Amma"—a person who is unequivocally
> alleged to be the all-knowing ("omniscient") "living Christ." The article
> states, "She is the living Christ, the pure cosmic intelligence and the
> living personification of love in action.…the devotee is reminded of the
> Divine Mother's omniscience."
>
> Pronouns in the article referring to Amma are also capitalized, as if
> she were God (the one God, capitalized), as indeed the article unambiguously
> asserts: "The Master is none other than God in human form."
>
> In her singular person, she is claimed to embody and personify all
> things spiritual and religious: "Amma is a stunning personification of
> jnana (enlightenment), bhakti (devotion), karma (selfless service) and raja
> yoga (contemplative union with the Supreme)." So, are we to believe that
> all of the major world religions—Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism,
> Hinduism, etc.—are now superfluous due to their "stunning" confluence under
> one umbrella—in a singular human, Amma?
>
> Am I just now completely crazy, or does it appear strange to anyone else
> that an article making such claims is presented without qualifiers in an
> academic newsletter? Could I make equal claims for any other singular
> human "embodiment," such as Jesus, the Pope, Muhammad, etc., and have it
> published as a feature in the MSR Newsletter? Are scientific endeavors and
> claims that a single human being is the "omniscient" Christ compatible with
> each other?
>
>
> I suppose the enlightenment that I need is to understand why such an
> article belongs in an academic outlet—unqualified, no disclaimers, no
> editorial comments that would give credible context or balance to the
> article. I find this incredible, offensive to world religion and science
> alike, and inappropriate for the social scientific study of Management,
> Spirituality, and Religion. It unabashedly advances a particular faith in
> the Divine claims of a singular human individual. I feel as though I am
> reading a religious tract hiding under the mantle of a purportedly social
> scientific newsletter.
>
> With respect and good wishes,
>
> Mathew
>
> --
> Mathew L. Sheep, Ph.D.
> Assistant Professor of Management
> College of Business
> Illinois State University
> Campus Box 5580
> Illinois State University
> Normal, IL 61790-5580
> Phone. (309) 438-3468
> E-mail.
msheep@ilstu.edu
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> --
>
>
Bill Cooke
Senior Lecturer in Organizational Analysis
Manchester Business School (E29)
University of Manchester
Manchester M15 9GH
44 (161) 306 3411