Journal of Management Studies

Edited by:
Joep Cornelissen, Andrew Delios and Steven W. Floyd (General Editors), Allen Amason, Andrew C. Corbett, Bill Harley, Davide Ravasi, Andre Spicer and Laszlo Tihanyi (Associate Editors)

Print ISSN: 0022-2380
Online ISSN: 1467-6486
Frequency: Eight times a year
Current Volume: 47 / 2010
ISI Journal Citation Reports® Ranking: 2008: 13/77 Business; 14/89 Management
Impact Factor: 2.558

TopAuthor Guidelines

These instructions are now available in Chinese

The Journal of Management Studies was established in 1963 to publish innovative, novel and high-quality papers that advance conceptual and empirical knowledge and address practice in the area of management.

By 'advance conceptual and empirical knowledge' we mean that papers should aim to develop strong theoretical and/or empirical insights that increases our understanding of behaviour both in organisations and of organisations in their environments. The Journal attaches no priority to either the subjects of study or the methodological approach adopted so long as they are theoretically grounded. Accordingly we would emphasise that we welcome contributions on a wide variety of topics from a whole range of perspectives. Our only proviso is that authors should maintain congruity within their own theoretical and methodological positions in the conduct and reporting of research. Our ultimate criterion of a paper's acceptability is that an informed reader is likely to learn something new from it that contributes significantly to the development of coherent bodies of knowledge.

By 'address practice' we mean that papers should enable practitioners or those who teach practitioners, to gain insight into management and organization. We would emphasise that the lessons for practice need to be grounded in rigorous theoretical and empirical research.

Pre-Submission English Language Editing
Authors for whom English is a second language may choose to have their manuscript professionally edited before submission to improve the English. A list of independent suppliers of editing services can be found at www.blackwellpublishing.com/bauthor/english_language.asp. All services are paid for and arranged by the author, and use of one of these services does not guarantee acceptance or preference for publication.

Preparation of Manuscripts
Contributors should submit their manuscripts by e-mail to Jo Brudenell J.M.Brudenell@durham.ac.uk.

All manuscripts must be accompanied by a letter which indicates briefly why the article is suitable for publication in the Journal of Management Studies and attests that the article has not been previously published or is under review elsewhere.

All manuscripts must be prepared according to the following guidelines:

1. Manuscripts must be double-spaced throughout (this includes Notes and References) with generous margins. They should be sent in MS Word format.

2. Papers should be between 5000 and 8000 words in length. Papers should be carefully crafted and succinctly presented.

3. To permit anonymity, the author's names should not appear on the manuscript. Instead, a cover page giving the title of the article and full identifying information (name, address, telephone and fax numbers and e-mail addresses) must be attached. The title of the manuscript should be on the first page of the paper along with the abstract and keywords. Language within the text that suggests the author's identity should be avoided. In addition, the manuscript 'Properties', under 'File' in Microsoft Word, should be erased prior to submission. Any identifying information from 'Track Changes' should be removed.

4. The cover page should be followed by an informative abstract of no more than 150 words double-spaced. A list of 4-6 key words, in alphabetical order should be provided below the abstract. Key words should express the precise content of the manuscript as they are used for indexing purposes.

5. Footnotes should not be used. Endnotes should be provided on a separate page immediately following the text under the heading NOTES. Endnotes should offer significant comment, not merely cite references. They should be kept to a minimum.

6. Authors must provide high quality artwork for all illustrations. Poor definition reproductions are not suitable. Tables and figures should be numbered separately. Tables use roman numerals and figures use arabic numerals (Table I, Table II…; Figure 1, Figure 2…). Each table and figure should be given a title and should be presented on a separate page at the end of the manuscript. Figures and tables reproduced from already published work must be accompanied by permission of the original publisher (or copyright holder, if not the publisher). Please indicate the position of figures and tables in the text as follows:

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INSERT TABLE I ABOUT HERE
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7. References should be listed alphabetically by author at the end of the manuscript.

Journal references should be listed as follows:
Child, J. and Smith, C. (1987). 'The context and process of organizational transformation - Cadbury Limited in its sector'. Journal of Management Studies, 24, 565-93.

Book references should be listed as follows:
Law, J. (1994). Organizing Modernity. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing.

Chapters in books should be listed as follows:
Wilson, M. (1996) 'Asking questions', in Sapsford, R. and Jupp, V. (Eds), Data Collection and Analysis. London: Sage.

Conferences proceedings should be listed as follows:
Smith, A. G. and Jones, C. H. (2002). Presentation/Paper Title in Italics. Conference Title, University, City.

Working papers should be listed as follows:
Jones, A. and Brown, B. (2004). Title of Working Paper in Italics. Working Paper No. 123, University, City.

Website references should be listed as follows:
Smith, A. (1999). Select committee report into social care in the community. http://www.dhss.gov.uk/reports/report015285.html (accessed on 7 November 2003).

In the text, where the author's name appears, the date should follow in parentheses, e.g., Mintzberg (1985). If the author's name is not present in the text, insert it with the author's name and date in parentheses, e.g., (Mintzberg, 1985).

Multiple references should be listed alphabetically in parentheses, separated by semicolons e.g., (Jackson, 1996; Watson, 1986).

Page numbers, to indicate a passage of special relevance or to give the source of a quotation should appear in parentheses as (Willmott, 1992, p. 12).

If there is more than one reference to the same author in the same year, postscript the date with a, b, c, etc. e.g., (Sparrow, 1998a).

Processing of Manuscripts and Production
When a paper is received the Editors will read it and decide whether to send it out to referees. Typically this decision takes no more than two weeks. Three referees' reports are sought and an initial decision should take no more than three months.

Submission of a manuscript implies commitment to publish in the Journal. Submission to the Journal of Management Studies implies that the manuscript has not been published elsewhere, nor is it under consideration by another journal. Authors in doubt about what constitutes prior publication should consult one of the General Editors.

Authors who submit manuscripts to the Journal of Management Studies are expected to reciprocate by serving as reviewers for the Journal of Management Studies if called upon to do so.

The file should be MS word. Authors are encouraged to try and include tables and figures as part of the main file.

Copyright Assignment Form
Authors will be required to assign copyright in their paper to Wiley-Blackwell. Copyright assignment is a condition of publication and papers will not be passed to the publisher for production unless copyright has been assigned. To assist authors, an appropriate copyright assignment form will be supplied by the editorial office when a paper has been accepted. Government employees need to complete the Author Warranty sections, although copyright in such cases does not need to be assigned.

Online Production Tracking
Online production tracking is available for your article through Wiley-Blackwell's Author Services. Author Services enables authors to track their article - once it has been accepted - through the production process to publication online and in print. Authors can check the status of their articles online and choose to receive automated e-mails at key stages of production. The author will receive an e-mail with a unique link that enables them to register and have their article automatically added to the system. Please ensure that a complete e-mail address is provided when submitting the manuscript. Visit www.blackwellpublishing.com/bauthor for more details on online production tracking and for a wealth of resources including FAQs and tips on article preparation, submission and more.