Editorial

Citation

Fielden, S. (2010), "Editorial", Gender in Management, Vol. 25 No. 8. https://doi.org/10.1108/gm.2010.05325haa.001

Editorial

Article Type: Editorial From: Gender in Management: An International Journal, Volume 25, Issue 8

At the end of this 25th anniversary year, it is interesting to look back at just how much the journal has changed over the last quarter of a century. The journal was founded in 1985 as Women in Management Review, becoming Gender in Management: An International Journal in 2008. However, it is not only the name that has changed; for example in 1985, there were only four issues per year and the journal looked more like a standard media publication than an academic journal. In contrast, since 1997, the number of issues increased to eight per volume and the review process is now far more rigorous. Although the journal has published material from a wide range of authors, many of the authors remain the same as from those early years. For example, in the very first issue of the journal, Professor Cary Cooper and Professor Judi Marshall were the headline papers. Moreover, the topic areas covered in that first issue, e.g. increasing women’s participation in management and career development, while having developed in content over time, are still relevant today.

The development of the journal has also been highly dependent on its editors and Editorial Boards. Although there have been several editors of the journal, Professor Marilyn Davidson was the main driving force in the early years and it was her development of the journal during her editorial term that provided the basis for the journal today. In particular, she significantly improved the academic quality of the papers published in the journal and expanded the Editorial Board. The journal has greatly benefited from the support and contribution of its Editorial Board members since that time, as well as from the support of the academic community. This has included some of the key people in the area of gender and management and in the last decade has expanded to encompass the wider global community in the area.

In light of the journal’s journey over the last 25 years, the 25th volume of the journal has looked at both the past and the future by publishing a series of both retrospective and invited articles from leading researchers in the gender field. The retrospective articles look at how things have progressed since the publication of early papers by key authors: papers which have received significant attention over the intervening years. In contrast, the invited articles take two forms; those which consider how research areas have advanced (such as the papers by Adelina Broadbridge and Elaine Swan) and those which represent new perspectives (such as those by Ruth Simpson; Sharon Mavin and Patricia Lewis). I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our contributors and for the tireless support of the Editorial Advisory and Review Boards in making the journal what it is today.

The journal is currently a highly respected publication occupying a place at the forefront of gender-based research in management and attracts both an international authorship and readership. It has seen the quality of its standard papers rise significantly over the last few years and we are not complacent in increasing the journals academic standing even further. From the 26th volume onward, there will be a new co-editor of the journal, Professor Sharon Mavin, whose main purpose is to keep driving the journal forward both in terms of quality and circulation. Although I had decided to stand down as editor, I have agreed to stay on as co-editor for the foreseeable future, as both Sharon and I feel that if we are to continue to raise the bar, we need to work together. In the first issue of the next volume, we will outline some of our plans for the journal and how we aim to further increase the journal’s academic rigor and standing.

Thank you for your continuing support and here is to another 25 years of success.

Sandra Fielden