Award Committee:

Jian Liang (Chair), Tongji University
Fang Lee Cooke, Monash University
Dali Ma, Drexel University
Danqing Wang, HKUST
Zhiyan Wu, Rasmus University

Best Paper:

Yue, Lori Qingyuan, Jiexin Zheng, and Kaixian Mao. “Firms’ rhetorical nationalism: Theory, measurement, and evidence from a computational analysis of Chinese public firms.” Management and Organization Review 20.2 (2024): 161-203.

Nomination comments:

This paper makes a novel and timely contribution to the study of nationalism in organizational contexts, particularly in an era of rising geopolitical tensions and nationalist sentiments globally. The study addresses a socially significant phenomenon—how firms strategically employ nationalist rhetoric—while maintaining rigorous computational methods, reflexivity about contextual biases, and transparency in data and analysis. Its methodological innovation, credible insights, and ethical handling of sensitive data bridge institutional theory with text analysis, offering practical implications for policymakers and managers.

The executive reviewers acknowledge that this research not only informs Chinese management practices but also extends to nationalism studies in other countries, stimulating further scholarly dialogue. With its strong alignment to RRBM’s mission—balancing scientific integrity with real-world relevance—and its reproducible, openly shared data, the paper fits the selection criteria exceptionally well and is a compelling candidate for the RRBM Award.

Description of the Award:

The Management and Organization Review (MOR) Responsible Research in Business and Management (RRBM) Best Paper Award is given to empirical research papers published in MOR in the past 2 years that exemplify the seven principles of RRBM, including service to society, valuing basic and applied contributions, valuing plurality and multi-disciplinary collaboration, sound methodology, stakeholder involvement, impact on stakeholders, and broad dissemination.