Discussion: View Thread

  • 1.  Roundtables

    Posted 04-02-2009 12:07
    I have not seen anyone in MSR actively try to suppress
    Christianity (of any kind) or any religion--at least not since
    I've been associated with this group. My sense of the MSR
    membership is that we are very inclusive and that thwarting R
    types is not part of who we are.

    I think that the group has a leaning toward spirituality, and
    as such, you see that as the focus. It's like some of us
    having a leaning toward OB or HRM--that doesn't mean we are
    anti-strategy or international management. I would very much
    hope that religious focused researchers get involved. There is
    incredibly good work by religious researchers in both medicine
    and psychology. Why not management? The next Harold Koenig may
    be in our midst!

    I would, however, echo Jody's sentiments that the focus of
    this group is about scholarship relating religion to the
    workplace.

    On the other hand, I do have a concern with some religious
    leaders (Pat Robertson comes quickly to mind, given the
    connection to Regent, but there are many like him in other
    faiths as well), albeit NOT their faith. Giving a voice to the
    hate-mongering, homophobia, and religious intolerance that
    some religious leaders advocate is not something that MSR
    should ever endorse or tolerate.

    Essentially I think that we should welcome evangelicals who
    welcome Muslims, Muslims who welcome Jews, Jews who welcome
    Christians, all within a spirit of love and caring. We can
    disagree, but it is without vilification and resentment.
    Those, like Pat Robertson, who refer to religions like Islam
    in disparaging terms, or who advocate violence or derision in
    the name of God, have no place in our group.


    Bob

    Robert A. Giacalone, Ph.D.
    Department of Human Resource Management
    Alter Hall Room 348, FSBM
    Temple University
    1801 Liacouras Walk
    Philadelphia, PA 19122
    e-mail: ragiacal@temple.edu
    Work phone: (215) 204-7038
    Fax: (215) 204-8362


    "So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half-asleep, even when they are busy doing things they think are important. This is because they are chasing the wrong things. The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to the community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning." Tuesdays with Morrie, Mitch Albom


    When you plant lettuce, if it does not grow well, you don't blame the lettuce.
    Thich Nhat Hanh

    _______________________________________________________________________

    To send a message to the MSR Listserv, please send your email to: MSR@AOMLISTS.pace.edu

    To visit the Academy's MSR Web site, please visit: http://group.aomonline.org/msr/

    To manage you MSR Listserv subscription, please visit: http://aomlists.pace.edu/scripts/wa.exe?SUBED1=MSR&A=1


  • 2.  Roundtables

    Posted 04-02-2009 15:41

    OK, I guess it I time to come out of the closet here – I too am a Regent grad and am what many people would consider to be a "conservative Christian." My time at Regent taught me (and all my colleagues) how to do research, how to understand the greater issues in the field of leadership at both a theoretical and societal level, and generally speaking everything a good doctoral program should do. The fact that my fledgling writing (as well as that of my colleagues) has made it into press in mainstream publications testifies that Regent did its job in preparing us to be scholars that can hold their own.

     

    The distinction of Regent (as I imagine most universities with an evangelical Christian heritage) is to help students to integrate their faith worldview into their studies, and look at their academic disciplines holistically and with a view of making the world a better place for God's sake and glory. This type of integration seems to be what MSR is about, and why I joined. While I attended the campus many times, only once did Pat Robertson address us, and in no way did his presentation represent any of the disparaging caricatures that Bob paints. At Regent, they do not teach "Hate Mongering and Homophobia 101" or "Advanced Intolerance." And I would never insinuate, for example, that someone from a Muslim university must be carrying some sort of terrorist agenda and therefore should not be allowed at the MSR table, that would be nonsense. His or her credibility is based on their ability to do credible scholarship, nothing more or nothing less.

     

    So, to the point of this thread, I would like to add this - If Pat Robertson, or Osama Bin Laden, show up and want to present at MSR, then we should judge them on the basis of their paper. Further, we could go a long way towards helping everyone feel included by not insinuating that those from religiously founded universities somehow carry these sorts of values (i.e. advocate violence in the name of God), regardless of how you feel about their founders. Let's remember that many of our countries greatest universities (such as Harvard) were founded by Christian men for religious purposes (and no doubt were built on the backs of slave labor), and have somehow managed to make a place in our society as important places of learning and shapers of thought in all disciplines - yet we do not impugn them with such derisive motives or values. Let's not do so with the current universities and scholars likewise built on religious values.

     

    Let me ad, I have felt very welcome by everyone in the MSR group and think so far we are doing well at letting the Christians have their say. I am sad I cannot attend this year, our family made big vacation plans a year ago at the same time that I could not change : (

     

    Frank

     

    Frank Markow, Ph.D.

    Director, Degree Completion Programs

    Life Pacific College    

         

    -----Original Message-----
    From: Management, Spirituality & Religion [mailto:MSR@AOMLISTS.PACE.EDU] On Behalf Of Robert A. Giacalone
    Sent: Thursday, April 02, 2009 9:07 AM
    To: MSR@AOMLISTS.PACE.EDU
    Subject: Re: Roundtables

     

    I have not seen anyone in MSR actively try to suppress

    Christianity (of any kind) or any religion--at least not since

    I've been associated with this group. My sense of the MSR

    membership is that we are very inclusive and that thwarting R

    types is not part of who we are.

     

    I think that the group has a leaning toward spirituality, and

    as such, you see that as the focus. It's like some of us

    having a leaning toward OB or HRM--that doesn't mean we are

    anti-strategy or international management. I would very much

    hope that religious focused researchers get involved. There is

    incredibly good work by religious researchers in both medicine

    and psychology. Why not management? The next Harold Koenig may

    be in our midst!

     

    I would, however, echo Jody's sentiments that the focus of

    this group is about scholarship relating religion to the

    workplace.

     

    On the other hand, I do have a concern with some religious

    leaders (Pat Robertson comes quickly to mind, given the

    connection to Regent, but there are many like him in other

    faiths as well), albeit NOT their faith. Giving a voice to the

    hate-mongering, homophobia, and religious intolerance that

    some religious leaders advocate is not something that MSR

    should ever endorse or tolerate.

     

    Essentially I think that we should welcome evangelicals who

    welcome Muslims, Muslims who welcome Jews, Jews who welcome

    Christians, all within a spirit of love and caring. We can

    disagree, but it is without vilification and resentment.

    Those, like Pat Robertson, who refer to religions like Islam

    in disparaging terms, or who advocate violence or derision in

    the name of God, have no place in our group.

     

     

    Bob

     

    Robert A. Giacalone, Ph.D.

    Department of Human Resource Management

    Alter Hall Room 348, FSBM

    Temple University

    1801 Liacouras Walk

    Philadelphia, PA 19122

    e-mail: ragiacal@temple.edu

    Work phone: (215) 204-7038

    Fax: (215) 204-8362

     

     

    "So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half-asleep, even when they are busy doing things they think are important. This is because they are chasing the wrong things. The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to the community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning." Tuesdays with Morrie, Mitch Albom

     

     

    When you plant lettuce, if it does not grow well, you don't blame the lettuce.

    Thich Nhat Hanh

     

    _______________________________________________________________________

     

    To send a message to the MSR Listserv, please send your email to: MSR@AOMLISTS.pace.edu

     

    To visit the Academy's MSR Web site, please visit: http://group.aomonline.org/msr/

     

    To manage you MSR Listserv subscription, please visit: http://aomlists.pace.edu/scripts/wa.exe?SUBED1=MSR&A=1

    _______________________________________________________________________ To send a message to the MSR Listserv, please send your email to: MSR@AOMLISTS.pace.edu To visit the Academy's MSR Web site, please visit: http://group.aomonline.org/msr/ To manage you MSR Listserv subscription, please visit: http://aomlists.pace.edu/scripts/wa.exe?SUBED1=MSR&A=1


  • 3.  Roundtables

    Posted 04-02-2009 18:34
    Frank,

    I'm happy that you sent this--if only to give me the
    opportunity to apologize if I offended the faculty at Regent.
    I had absolutely no intention of doing so. Regent faculty are
    no more responsible for the things that Pat Robertson has said
    than Catholic universities are for things the Pope has said or
    done (e.g., the condom comments a few weeks ago). To align an
    entire organization with the frailties of it's founder or
    leader would be ridiculous.

    Though I enjoyed your humor, I really don't think that they
    teach "Hate Mongering and Homophobia 101" or "Advanced
    Intolerance." I don't think that Regent faculty teach that
    Muslims are all engaging in some sort of terrorist agenda. I
    don't think that all evangelicals believe this or have ever
    said such things.

    But while I respect the faculty or graduates from Regent as I
    would scholars from any school, Pat Robertson and those who
    preach hatred and violence cannot be tolerated. Reverend
    Robertson has said awful things, including suggesting that a
    nuclear device should be used to wipe out the State
    Department. Reverend Robertson equated Adolph Hitler,
    Satanists, and homosexuals. Reverend Robertson has vilified
    Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism. I'm afraid to say that I've
    actually watched the 700 Club many, many times, to educate
    myself to other points of view, only to feel shocked at the
    kind of incredible hateful things that came out of Robertson's
    mouth.

    But more to the point, neither Reverend Robertson nor Bin
    Laden are scholars--they are religious leaders, and more
    importantly, extremists whose views are polarizing and
    dangerous. I think that those who spew hate do not belong at
    the table with scholars who are trying to make the world a
    better place. Religious tolerance and appreciation and
    tolerance of hate are not the same thing.

    I have NEVER heard anything about the faculty at Regent that
    would indicate that they have espoused or agreed with
    Robertson. I personally know two people who have taught there
    and neither of them has ever voiced Robertson-like comments.
    If my e-mail implied anything otherwise, I really do apologize.

    Best regards,

    Bob


    Robert A. Giacalone, Ph.D.
    Department of Human Resource Management
    Alter Hall Room 348, FSBM
    Temple University
    1801 Liacouras Walk
    Philadelphia, PA 19122
    e-mail: ragiacal@temple.edu
    Work phone: (215) 204-7038
    Fax: (215) 204-8362


    "So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half-asleep, even when they are busy doing things they think are important. This is because they are chasing the wrong things. The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to the community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning." Tuesdays with Morrie, Mitch Albom


    When you plant lettuce, if it does not grow well, you don't blame the lettuce.
    Thich Nhat Hanh

    _______________________________________________________________________

    To send a message to the MSR Listserv, please send your email to: MSR@AOMLISTS.pace.edu

    To visit the Academy's MSR Web site, please visit: http://group.aomonline.org/msr/

    To manage you MSR Listserv subscription, please visit: http://aomlists.pace.edu/scripts/wa.exe?SUBED1=MSR&A=1


  • 4.  Roundtables

    Posted 04-03-2009 15:32
    Hi all,
    I would like to add my voice in agreement to much of what has been said in this thread so far--to my good friends and colleagues Bob Giacalone and Jody Fry, and especially to the most recent insight given by Andre Delbeq.  Among such wisdom, I am humbly honored to be a part of MSR and this discussion.
     
    I have been a member of MSR since 2003 and have seen its ups and downs, flashes of clarity and focus as well as incidents (hopefully isolated) of muddy thinking about the purpose of MSR. I suppose this is to be expected in some degree of any new area of study finding its niche and footing. 
     
    We all have our religious/spiritual affiliations and proclivities, and I personally embrace mine with great enthusiasm, but we come into the context of MSR as a "safe" space of scholarly activity--a pluralistic community of organizational scholars (not in the roles of theologians or gurus) that has willfully placed itself under the auspices of the Academy of Management.  As such, like any other entity in the Academy, the purpose is to study organizational phenomena (of religion and spirituality in the workplace, in this case) that impact the concerns of the management discipline.  Quite frankly, my mind is boggled if we think of MSR as if it were some other kind of community of practice beyond that or apart from that.
     
    I will admit to having impressions throughout my 8 years of studying MSR (the topic, not the interest group) that religion can sometimes seem to be cast in negative tones as a narrow artifact of an institutionalized past, while spirituality is naively positioned as the blissfully benign and secularized antidote--somehow neutral and immune from all of the egoistic abuses of religion (which we would all acknowledge on the part of some). However, I am not convinced that such a simplistic dichotomy exists either in theory or practice.  Similarly, those who study religion and spirituality (the integration of which was so eloquently expressed in Andre's e-mail) in more mature disciplines (e.g., psychology) have long since moved beyond dichotomizing religion and spirituality, calling it unhelpful and inaccurate to the study of either (e.g., Hill, Pargament, Hood, McCullough, Swyers, Larson, & Zinnbauer, 2000). 
     
    I believe in the value that MSR can bring to the management discipline in general and the Academy in particular, if we stick to our knitting as organizational scholars with rigorous methods of inquiry, a healthy amount of critical skepticism of unsupported claims as "science," and a self-reflexive acknowledgment of our own biases and limitations--whatever our paradigm. Above all, we show mutual respect. 
    Mathew
     
    --
    Mathew L. Sheep, Ph.D.
    College of Business
    Illinois State University
    Campus Box 5580
    Normal, IL 61790-5580
    Phone. (309) 438-4525
    E-mail. msheep@ilstu.edu


     
    On Thu, Apr 2, 2009 at 2:41 PM, Frank Markow <FMarkow@lifepacific.edu> wrote:

    OK, I guess it I time to come out of the closet here – I too am a Regent grad and am what many people would consider to be a "conservative Christian." My time at Regent taught me (and all my colleagues) how to do research, how to understand the greater issues in the field of leadership at both a theoretical and societal level, and generally speaking everything a good doctoral program should do. The fact that my fledgling writing (as well as that of my colleagues) has made it into press in mainstream publications testifies that Regent did its job in preparing us to be scholars that can hold their own.

     

    The distinction of Regent (as I imagine most universities with an evangelical Christian heritage) is to help students to integrate their faith worldview into their studies, and look at their academic disciplines holistically and with a view of making the world a better place for God's sake and glory. This type of integration seems to be what MSR is about, and why I joined. While I attended the campus many times, only once did Pat Robertson address us, and in no way did his presentation represent any of the disparaging caricatures that Bob paints. At Regent, they do not teach "Hate Mongering and Homophobia 101" or "Advanced Intolerance." And I would never insinuate, for example, that someone from a Muslim university must be carrying some sort of terrorist agenda and therefore should not be allowed at the MSR table, that would be nonsense. His or her credibility is based on their ability to do credible scholarship, nothing more or nothing less.

     

    So, to the point of this thread, I would like to add this - If Pat Robertson, or Osama Bin Laden, show up and want to present at MSR, then we should judge them on the basis of their paper. Further, we could go a long way towards helping everyone feel included by not insinuating that those from religiously founded universities somehow carry these sorts of values (i.e. advocate violence in the name of God), regardless of how you feel about their founders. Let's remember that many of our countries greatest universities (such as Harvard) were founded by Christian men for religious purposes (and no doubt were built on the backs of slave labor), and have somehow managed to make a place in our society as important places of learning and shapers of thought in all disciplines - yet we do not impugn them with such derisive motives or values. Let's not do so with the current universities and scholars likewise built on religious values.

     

    Let me ad, I have felt very welcome by everyone in the MSR group and think so far we are doing well at letting the Christians have their say. I am sad I cannot attend this year, our family made big vacation plans a year ago at the same time that I could not change : (

     

    Frank

     

    Frank Markow, Ph.D.

    Director, Degree Completion Programs

    Life Pacific College    

         

    -----Original Message-----
    From: Management, Spirituality & Religion [mailto:MSR@AOMLISTS.PACE.EDU] On Behalf Of Robert A. Giacalone
    Sent: Thursday, April 02, 2009 9:07 AM
    To: MSR@AOMLISTS.PACE.EDU
    Subject: Re: Roundtables

     

    I have not seen anyone in MSR actively try to suppress

    Christianity (of any kind) or any religion--at least not since

    I've been associated with this group. My sense of the MSR

    membership is that we are very inclusive and that thwarting R

    types is not part of who we are.

     

    I think that the group has a leaning toward spirituality, and

    as such, you see that as the focus. It's like some of us

    having a leaning toward OB or HRM--that doesn't mean we are

    anti-strategy or international management. I would very much

    hope that religious focused researchers get involved. There is

    incredibly good work by religious researchers in both medicine

    and psychology. Why not management? The next Harold Koenig may

    be in our midst!

     

    I would, however, echo Jody's sentiments that the focus of

    this group is about scholarship relating religion to the

    workplace.

     

    On the other hand, I do have a concern with some religious

    leaders (Pat Robertson comes quickly to mind, given the

    connection to Regent, but there are many like him in other

    faiths as well), albeit NOT their faith. Giving a voice to the

    hate-mongering, homophobia, and religious intolerance that

    some religious leaders advocate is not something that MSR

    should ever endorse or tolerate.

     

    Essentially I think that we should welcome evangelicals who

    welcome Muslims, Muslims who welcome Jews, Jews who welcome

    Christians, all within a spirit of love and caring. We can

    disagree, but it is without vilification and resentment.

    Those, like Pat Robertson, who refer to religions like Islam

    in disparaging terms, or who advocate violence or derision in

    the name of God, have no place in our group.

     

     

    Bob

     

    Robert A. Giacalone, Ph.D.

    Department of Human Resource Management

    Alter Hall Room 348, FSBM

    Temple University

    1801 Liacouras Walk

    Philadelphia, PA 19122

    e-mail: ragiacal@temple.edu

    Work phone: (215) 204-7038

    Fax: (215) 204-8362

     

     

    "So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half-asleep, even when they are busy doing things they think are important. This is because they are chasing the wrong things. The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to the community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning." Tuesdays with Morrie, Mitch Albom

     

     

    When you plant lettuce, if it does not grow well, you don't blame the lettuce.

    Thich Nhat Hanh

     

    _______________________________________________________________________

     

    To send a message to the MSR Listserv, please send your email to: MSR@AOMLISTS.pace.edu

     

    To visit the Academy's MSR Web site, please visit: http://group.aomonline.org/msr/

     

    To manage you MSR Listserv subscription, please visit: http://aomlists.pace.edu/scripts/wa.exe?SUBED1=MSR&A=1

    _______________________________________________________________________ To send a message to the MSR Listserv, please send your email to: MSR@AOMLISTS.pace.edu To visit the Academy's MSR Web site, please visit: http://group.aomonline.org/msr/ To manage you MSR Listserv subscription, please visit: http://aomlists.pace.edu/scripts/wa.exe?SUBED1=MSR&A=1






    _______________________________________________________________________ To send a message to the MSR Listserv, please send your email to: MSR@AOMLISTS.pace.edu To visit the Academy's MSR Web site, please visit: http://group.aomonline.org/msr/ To manage you MSR Listserv subscription, please visit: http://aomlists.pace.edu/scripts/wa.exe?SUBED1=MSR&A=1


  • 5.  Roundtables

    Posted 04-03-2009 19:50
    As a new member of AOM and MSR (I attended the doctoral student and new faculty consortium last year for the first time), I am really excited to read each of these thoughtful entries into the kind of discussion I envisioned joining as I embarked upon my doctoral studies.  The number and variety of responses to this one topic alone indicate to me that "inclusivity" and "exclusivity" are not at issue in MSR.  What has shown up in this conversation is the richness of what can be explored in the arena of the intersection between managment, spirituality and religion.  I am deeply grateful to have found this scholarly community.

    Respectfully,
    Dorianne
     
    Dorianne Cotter-Lockard, MBA
    Doctoral student, Fielding Graduate University
    Adjunct Faculty, California Lutheran University
    Dorianne_cotter@sbcglobal.net
    Cell: 805-428-2600
    www.phdconfidential.wordpress.com


    From: Mathew Sheep <msheep@ILSTU.EDU>
    To: MSR@AOMLISTS.PACE.EDU
    Sent: Friday, April 3, 2009 12:32:22 PM
    Subject: Re: Roundtables

    Hi all,
    I would like to add my voice in agreement to much of what has been said in this thread so far--to my good friends and colleagues Bob Giacalone and Jody Fry, and especially to the most recent insight given by Andre Delbeq.  Among such wisdom, I am humbly honored to be a part of MSR and this discussion.
     
    I have been a member of MSR since 2003 and have seen its ups and downs, flashes of clarity and focus as well as incidents (hopefully isolated) of muddy thinking about the purpose of MSR. I suppose this is to be expected in some degree of any new area of study finding its niche and footing. 
     
    We all have our religious/spiritual affiliations and proclivities, and I personally embrace mine with great enthusiasm, but we come into the context of MSR as a "safe" space of scholarly activity--a pluralistic community of organizational scholars (not in the roles of theologians or gurus) that has willfully placed itself under the auspices of the Academy of Management.  As such, like any other entity in the Academy, the purpose is to study organizational phenomena (of religion and spirituality in the workplace, in this case) that impact the concerns of the management discipline.  Quite frankly, my mind is boggled if we think of MSR as if it were some other kind of community of practice beyond that or apart from that.
     
    I will admit to having impressions throughout my 8 years of studying MSR (the topic, not the interest group) that religion can sometimes seem to be cast in negative tones as a narrow artifact of an institutionalized past, while spirituality is naively positioned as the blissfully benign and secularized antidote--somehow neutral and immune from all of the egoistic abuses of religion (which we would all acknowledge on the part of some). However, I am not convinced that such a simplistic dichotomy exists either in theory or practice.  Similarly, those who study religion and spirituality (the integration of which was so eloquently expressed in Andre's e-mail) in more mature disciplines (e.g., psychology) have long since moved beyond dichotomizing religion and spirituality, calling it unhelpful and inaccurate to the study of either (e.g., Hill, Pargament, Hood, McCullough, Swyers, Larson, & Zinnbauer, 2000). 
     
    I believe in the value that MSR can bring to the management discipline in general and the Academy in particular, if we stick to our knitting as organizational scholars with rigorous methods of inquiry, a healthy amount of critical skepticism of unsupported claims as "science," and a self-reflexive acknowledgment of our own biases and limitations--whatever our paradigm. Above all, we show mutual respect. 
    Mathew
     
    --
    Mathew L. Sheep, Ph.D.
    College of Business
    Illinois State University
    Campus Box 5580
    Normal, IL 61790-5580
    Phone. (309) 438-4525
    E-mail. msheep@ilstu.edu


    _______________________________________________________________________ To send a message to the MSR Listserv, please send your email to: MSR@AOMLISTS.pace.edu To visit the Academy's MSR Web site, please visit: http://group.aomonline.org/msr/ To manage you MSR Listserv subscription, please visit: http://aomlists.pace.edu/scripts/wa.exe?SUBED1=MSR&A=1