Researchers aspiring to publish in Journal of Management Studies joined Birkbeck’s Department of Management for an hour with General Editor Professor Jonathan Doh.
Birkbeck’s Department of Management was delighted to welcome Professor Jonathan Doh for the seventh event in our Meet the Editor series on Monday 14 February 2022.
The seminar was chaired by Dr Muthu De Silva, Assistant Dean for Research in Birkbeck’s School of Business, Economics and Informatics, who welcomed colleagues from all over the world to the online session.
Professor Doh is General Editor of the Journal of Management Studies and was Editor in Chief of the Journal of World Business from 2014-18. He is Associate Dean of Research and Global Engagement, Rammrath Chair in International Business, Co-Faculty Director of the Center for Global Leadership, and Professor of Management at the Villanova School of Business. With over 130 publications and 18,000 Google Scholar citations to his name, Professor Doh brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to our Meet the Editor series.
Introduction to the Journal of Management Studies
The Journal of Management Studies (JMS) is a consistently highly ranked, multidisciplinary journal with a long-established history of excellence in management research. It has a 5-year Impact Factor of 10.960 and has been on the FT 50 list since 2010.
JMS has three General Editors and nine Associate Editors based across Europe, Asia and North America and has an Editorial Review Board of over 200 academics.
While JMS is a general management journal, there are several factors that set it apart from other journals in the field:
- JMS considers itself to be especially pluralistic, with a range of different contributions from different places. The journal is open to a wide range of methodological approaches and philosophical underpinnings.
- JMS Editors have a fixed term of office and cannot publish in JMS, aside from Editorials and Introductions to commissioned content.
- JMS Editors consult another member of the editorial team in the advanced stages of revision to ensure consistency in the decision-making process.
- JMS has a dedicated Editorial Office team to assist with any issues or queries regarding paper submissions.
Why become a reviewer?
Professor Doh encouraged members of the audience, particularly early career researchers, to consider volunteering as a reviewer. For many Editors, becoming a reviewer is the first step in their editorial journey. Reviewing improves scholarly skills and is an opportunity to give back to the academic community. Those interested in becoming a reviewer for JMS can apply via Scholar One.
What are the publication criteria for the Journal of Management Studies?
JMS publishes innovative empirical and conceptual articles which advance knowledge of management and organisation. Professor Doh stressed that editors are particularly interested in unusual, surprising or challenging papers with a strong theoretical orientation.
Common reasons for rejection include lack of clear contribution, lack of methodological rigour or a clear and appropriate theoretical framework and lack of clear implications for management theory and practice.
In 2021, submissions to JMS reached an all-time high of 1,260. The majority of submissions come from Europe and Asia, with North America being the next highest contributor.
What is the review process for the Journal of Management Studies?
JMS operates a double-blind peer review process. Papers that go out for review typically receive three reviews drawn from the JMS Editorial Board as well as ad hoc reviewers and they aim to provide a decision within three months. Any paper that is to go out for review is screened for overlap with previous papers using the iThenticate software.
Typically, manuscripts will be revised two to four times before acceptance. Time from acceptance to appearing in print is approximately one year.
The desk rejection rate for JMS currently stands at 66% and the rejection rate after the first round of reviews is 26%. The acceptance rate is around 3%, however Professor Doh encouraged researchers to view this in the context of a vast increase in submissions year on year.
What types of articles does the Journal of Management Studies publish?
While the bulk of JMS publications are regular articles, Professor Doh highlighted the value in review articles. This could be particularly relevant for PhD students, who will have conducted a literature review as part of their thesis. In particular, JMS looks for literature review articles that add value in terms of theory contribution by situating and critiquing the literature, identifying any gaps and suggesting new avenues for research. JMS also considers meta-analyses as review articles.
The journal also publishes short essays, ‘JMS Says’, intended to catalyse new thinking and ‘point-counterpoints’ articles, which put forward a position or argument paired with one or more other articles proposing alternative arguments or perspectives. Essays are considered on an ad hoc basis. Professor Doh reflected on the merits of collaborations between junior and senior scholars and encouraged junior scholars to consider such collaborations when submitting to JMS says.
Instructions on how to submit to the different areas of JMS can be found online.
We would like to thank Professor Doh for an insightful and informative session.
