Nurturing Ideas, Cultivating Reviewers: The C.E.D.A.R. Tree of Generative Peer Review

This editorial advocates for a generative perspective on peer review in management and organizational studies. It argues that reviewing should grow from shared values (the soil), take form through consistent scholarly practices (the roots), and yield developmental outcomes for the academic community (the fruits). Drawing on the European Management Journal’s ethos of critical inquiry, pluralism, and accessibility, we introduce the C.E.D.A.R. Tree of Generative Peer Review, which is a metaphor and framework that connects values, practices, and outcomes. The soil represents European Management Journal’s editorial ethos. The five roots—namely, Curiosity, Empathy, Developmental judgment, Actionable guidance, and Reflexive reflection—translate this ethos into teachable habits. The fruits—generative peer reviews, inclusive scholarship, author growth, generative reviewers, and scholarly mentorship within a sustainable scholarly ecosystem—embody the enduring outcomes of generative reviewing. Together, these elements reframe peer review as a living, developmental system and an expression of scholarly citizenship that nurtures both ideas and communities of practice.