ABOUT THE CONFERENCE

Ann Cunliffe organized the first Qualitative Research in Management and Organizations Conference in 2008 in honor of the 20th anniversary of John Van Maanen’s 1988 book Tales of the Field. Since then, QRM has run biennially (except for a pandemic pause) with keynote speakers who have pushed the bounds of their discipline in relation to both content and methods. The conference has always been held in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

QRM aims to celebrate the interdisciplinary and pluralistic nature of qualitative organizational research, as well as to support qualitative researchers at all stages of their career engage in imaginative, thought-provoking and reflexive work. It’s a small, friendly conference with approximately 60-80 participants. Because of the intimate nature of the conference, participants receive constructive feedback on their presentations and have opportunities to explore collaborations. The conference is international and has attracted participants from all continents and multiple disciplines, including management and organization studies, communication, sociology, psychology, education, accounting, marketing, cultural studies, information and decision sciences, health, and public administration.

Ann Cunliffe organized the first seven conferences with multiple collaborators including Karen Locke, Rafael Alcadipani, and Stephen Linstead. Beginning in 2025, the conference will be co-organized by Shawna Malvini Redden and Jamie McDonald.