Rich Bettis
Duke University
Will Mitchell
University of North Carolina
Ed Zajac
Northwestern University
Welcome from The Editors
Dear Colleagues:
It has now been two years since we had the privilege of taking on the roles of Co-Editors of the Strategic Management Journal. At this milestone we want to briefly update the membership of the Strategic Management Society on SMJ’s development.
Our vision for SMJ emphasizes maintaining and building its position of SMJ as the flagship journal of the strategic management discipline. SMJ’s strength in this position is directly attributable to the thoughtful leadership, organization, and effort provided by Dan and Mary Lou Schendel during the first quarter-century of the journal. We see ourselves first and foremost as stewards of this asset – we are committed to continuing to make SMJ the most desired destination for the best research in strategic management. As a result, we fully expect that the papers we publish will lead and reflect the field as it grows and evolves. The three Co-Editors, six Associate Editors, the Managing Editor, and the distinguished SMJ Editorial Board are focused on providing developmental, open-minded, and timely reviews for all submissions.
In doing so, we value research that both addresses important gaps in existing approaches to strategic management and creates new perspectives that move beyond existing theories and arguments. Hence, we view our role as taking an ‘author’s perspective’ on submissions, with the goal of helping to make the work as strong as possible, whether it is published in SMJ or is subsequently targeted for other journals. We look forward to continuing to work with all prospective SMJ authors in this exciting journey.
The Journal is undergoing a growth spurt. This is undoubtedly due in part to the continued health and growth of our discipline in Western Europe, the USA, and Canada. At the same time we are seeing increasing numbers of submission from Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, and other emerging areas. The quality of submissions from these areas is also improving. With globalization and the rapid development of countries such as China, India, Brazil, and many others has come increasing interest in strategy and scholarship related to strategic management. We believe the SMS Special Conference in China in June 2006 and the Special Conference in India in December 2008 have been especially important in stimulating scholarly interest in the field of strategic management and SMJ in Asia.
The magnitude of our growth can be seen in one simple statistical comparison. The journal now has over 160 reviewers on the Editorial Board, whereas not too long ago, the total number of active scholars in strategic management was below this number! We are planning increases in Board membership for 2009 as submissions continue to grow. We are fortunate to have the honor of being Co-Editors in a period when the investment in SMJ and SMS by Dan and Mary Lou Schendel is paying huge intellectual dividends for the field.
Finally, we intend to publish about one special issue of the Journal each year, starting in 2009. Our goal for special issues is to target questions and issues that push the boundaries of the discipline. In 2009, we will publish a special issue titled, "The Age of Temporary Advantage." In 2010, we will publish a special issue titled "Psychological Foundations of Strategic Management." The SMS website provides information about these special issues.
Above all, we are delighted to have the opportunity to work with you, as authors, reviewers, and active members of the strategic management discipline. We look forward to many such opportunities in the future.
Sincerely,
Rich Bettis, Will Mitchell & Ed Zajac
SMJ Co-Editors