Editorial: Advancing management scholarship: from athletics to ethics and CEO compensation

Citation

Yawson, R.M. and Lewis, V.J. (2024), "Editorial: Advancing management scholarship: from athletics to ethics and CEO compensation", Organization Management Journal , Vol. 21 No. 3, pp. 89-91. https://doi.org/10.1108/OMJ-07-2024-976

Welcome to Volume 21, Issue 3 of the Organization Management Journal. In this issue, we are proud to present a collection of articles that exemplify our mission of advancing management scholarship. The research featured here spans a fascinating range of topics, from the impact of athletic identity on work performance to the development of a new scale for measuring academic ethics to an exploration of how perceptions of CEO compensation differ among students and working adults.

These articles represent the kind of rigorous, relevant scholarship that is at the heart of OMJ’s purpose. They contribute to our theoretical understanding of important issues in management and organizational behavior and offer valuable insights for practitioners seeking to create more effective and ethical workplaces.

Beyond showcasing excellent research, this editorial also highlights the vital role that academic conferences play in the advancement of our field. Recent gatherings of the Eastern Academy of Management, the Southwest Academy of Management and the Eastern Academy of Management International have provided crucial forums for scholars to share their work, build collaborations and push the boundaries of management knowledge.

As we reflect on the scholarship and community engagement featured in this issue, it is clear that the future of management research is bright. We hope that you will find these articles as thought-provoking and illuminating as we have, and that they will inspire your own work in advancing our understanding of the complex, ever-evolving world of organizations and management.

Inside volume 21 issue 3

In the first article, “CEO compensation: US college student and adult perceptions,” Clarissa R. Steele and Sarah Holtzen investigate the differences in how working adults and business students in the USA perceive CEO compensation, both before and after being presented with information about actual CEO pay levels. Their findings reveal that while both groups had similar levels of concern about CEO pay, reading about the high levels of compensation increased their concern but paradoxically also led them to believe CEO pay was more justified. The authors suggest that the way CEO compensation information is presented to the public may need to be reconsidered to help people better understand the magnitude of the pay gap between CEOs and average employees (Steele & Holtzen, 2024).

The second article, “Athletic identity and discretionary effort at work,” by Rob Lion, Tyler Burch, and Alex Bolinger, explores whether employees’ identification as athletes contributes to their extra effort at work. Athletic identity has long been linked with positive traits like discipline, teamwork, and competitiveness that could translate to the workplace. This study provides interesting insights into how athletic experiences shape people’s approach to their careers (Lion et al., 2024).

The third article in this Issue is “The ethical student scale: development of a new measure,” by Tuvana Rua, Leanna Lawter and Jeanine Andreassi, which develops a scale to better understand the factors that influence students’ decisions around academic integrity issues like cheating and plagiarism. The authors identify three key dimensions in their ethical student scale – the influence of university rules and policies, students’ own personal morality and the pressure they feel to perform academically. Validating this scale provides a useful tool for further research into academic honesty and how it may relate to ethical behavior later in one’s career (Rua et al., 2024).

Our affiliated conferences

Beyond the fascinating research presented in this issue, we also want to highlight several prominent management conferences that have recently taken place. In May, the Eastern Academy of Management held its 61st Annual Meeting in Providence, RI. This long-running conference continues to be an important gathering for management scholars to share their latest research findings. The Southwest Academy of Management also held a successful conference in Houston, TX, in March of this year. With hundreds of attendees from around the country, SWAM 2024 provided an excellent opportunity for academics and practitioners to network and learn from each other. In addition, the Eastern Academy of Management International hosted its 20th biennial conference in June in Taipei and New Taipei City, Taiwan. With a theme of “Artificial Intelligence in Business: Opportunities and Challenges,” this conference brought together a global group of management researchers to explore how AI is transforming organizations and discuss the managerial implications. Holding this event in Taiwan also helped strengthen international ties within our field.

Conferences like EAM, SWAM and EAM-I are vital in advancing management research and practice. By bringing scholars together to share their work and engage in discussion and debate, these meetings generate new knowledge and help disseminate important findings. They also provide crucial opportunities for professional development, especially for graduate students and early-career academics looking to establish themselves in the field. The relationships and collaborations formed at conferences often endure for years. We strongly encourage all our authors and reviewers to participate in these conferences whenever possible, whether by attending, presenting your own research, or organizing symposia and professional development workshops. The Organization Management Journal is proud to be sponsored by the Eastern Academy of Management and the Southwest Academy of Management to support their missions of promoting excellence in management theory, research, education and practice.

Conclusion

The articles in this issue of OMJ demonstrate the power of rigorous, relevant research to advance our understanding of critical issues in management and organizational behavior. From shedding light on the factors that shape academic integrity to exploring the complex dynamics of CEO compensation, this scholarship has the potential to make a real difference in the world of practice. At the same time, the success of recent conferences of EAM, SWAM and EAM-I reminds us that our work is not done in isolation, but through vibrant communities of scholars who challenge and inspire one another. It is through this collaborative spirit that we will continue to push the boundaries of management knowledge and build a brighter future for our field.

We are grateful to the researchers who chose to publish their work in OMJ, and to the dedicated reviewers who provide constructive feedback to help strengthen the quality of the articles we publish. We look forward to continuing to be a leading outlet for high-quality management research that shapes organizational practices around the world.