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This article explores: In what ways do Black mothers experience workplace oppression? and How can anti-oppressive practices informed by contemplative practices appropriately and effectively address workplace oppression experienced by Black mothers? Our analysis concluded that power is a central component of workplace oppression. Four themes related to power are discussed: privilege, being an outsider, non-traditional career roles and ownership. In response, we offer a Contemplative Anti-Oppressive Practice (CAOP) framework, which combines elements of antioppressive and contemplative practice as an approach for both employees and managers to dismantle workplace oppression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This panel symposium is built on research with Black, working mothers that was presented at the 2021 AOM Conference and later published in the Journal of Management, Spirituality & Religion. In that article (which received a best paper award), we developed the Contemplative & Anti-Oppressive Practice (CAOP) framework (Dillard & Walker, 2022). We proposed that contemplation, the process of cycling from stillness to action with God (Merton, 1971, 2007), if shaped by the six anti-oppressive "explanations of human social behavior" (Clifford, 1995, p. 66), can lead to a reduction in the actions and experiences of oppression. The two parts of contemplative practice--stillness and action--should feed each other in anti-oppressive work. For example, in discussing the role of contemplative practice in the civil rights movement, Holmes states, "You cannot face German shepherds and fire hoses with your own resources; there must be God in stillness at the very center of your being" (2017, p. 116). Considering the Academy of Management theme "Putting the Worker Front and Center," we see an opportunity to gather a panel of Black working mothers, all of whom are also experts in the field of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), to explore how the CAOP model might support efforts to dismantle workplace oppression. Using practices of Critical Participatory Action Research (CPAR) the symposium panelist will be invited to engage in a community practice called counterspace (Olivos, 2006) where participants interact with the model so they can collaboratively provide recommendations about the framework and suggestions for how organizations might use the model to support workers and build an inclusive organization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This symposium examines the current state of the field of Management, Spirituality and Religion (MSR), along with a discussion on likely future trajectories. As an 'emergent' field, MSR is yet to establish firm consensual conceptual and theoretical foundations, while acknowledging that with time these will change and always be challenged -- such as the notion of 'opportunities' in entrepreneurship or the 'boundaries' of diversity in diversity management. To probe into these conceptual and theoretical foundations and as a springboard to exploring future directions, we present a selection of Best Papers from the 20-year-old Journal of Management, Spiritualty and Religion (JMSR) considered the lead journal in this field of scholarship (Singh & Singh, 2022). The "Acts" of Paul: Micro-processes and New Institution Creation Author: Bradley A. Almond; Texas A&M U. Central Texas Black Mothers at Work Author: Nicole Dillard; U. of Minnesota, Twin Cities Author: Christina M. Walker; Lenoir-Rhyne U. When Work Becomes Meditation Author: Lasse Lychnell; Stockholm School of Economics Workplace Well-being and Consciousness-based Architecture Author: Anil K. Maheshwari; Maharishi International U. Servant Leadership from Multiple Domains and Follower Work Behavior Author: Mitchell J. Neubert; Baylor U. Author: Ju Chien Cindy Wu; Baylor U. Author: Kevin Dougherty; Baylor U. The Role of Spiritual Leadership in Reducing Healthcare Worker Burnout Author: Mari Yang; Director / Anatomic Pathology & Cytology Author: Louis W. Fry; Texas A&M U. Central Texas [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this article is to explore two research questions: In what ways do Black mothers experience workplace oppression? and How can anti-oppressive practices informed by contemplative practices appropriately and effectively address workplace oppression experienced by Black mothers? Grounding our qualitative research in Black Feminist Thought, an analysis of participants' semi-structured interviews concluded that power is a central component of workplace oppression. In fact, when answering the first research question the data suggests that Black mothers experience workplace oppression through four central themes related to power: (1) privilege, (2) being an outsider, (3) non-traditional career roles, and (4) ownership. In addressing the second research question, we offer a new framework, Contemplative Anti-Oppressive Practice (CAOP), which combines Clifford's anti-oppressive practice with the two aspects of contemplative practice: "stillness" (being) and "action" (doing). We explore this framework in light of the narratives provided by our participants as an approach for both employees and managers to dismantle workplace oppression. Keywords: anti-oppressive practice, contemplative practice, management, workplace oppression, mothers, Black Feminist Thought. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]