Editorial

Citation

Mavin, S. and Fielden, S. (2011), "Editorial", Gender in Management, Vol. 26 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/gm.2011.05326aaa.001

Editorial

Article Type: Editorial From: Gender in Management: An International Journal, Volume 26, Issue 1

We are delighted to be writing our inaugural joint Editorial for Gender in Management: An International Journal and would like to take this opportunity to outline our plans for the development of the journal. The women in management, now gender in management (GiM) community has enjoyed 25 years of scholarly debate and empirical work. We have presented significant challenge to the gendered nature of management practice and have significantly influenced developments for women in management. However, there is still more to do. Our research and debates are increasingly important in a global society and the current economic climate.

Gender in Management: An International Journal encourages submissions which focus on the subject of gender within the context of management and leadership. We encourage and welcome studies of gender in management and leadership, taken from diverse discipline perspectives which make contributions to current theory and practice.

Concepts and research approaches

In advancing the research base, we expect authors to be explicit in their approach to and understanding of, concepts underpinning our field. For example, authors should consider their positioning in relation to the differences between the use of the terms “sex” and “gender”, understandings of “gender”, gendering, gendered and epistemological positions in relation to “men” and “women” when speaking about “sex” and “gender”. Authors should also explain their positions in relation to gender, management and/or leadership to contextualise their research. This is also the case for the research approaches contributors have followed to develop their research and theoretical arguments. Submitted papers for review should, therefore, include discussion of research approaches, methodologies and methods utilised, to strengthen the rigour of published work.

Editorial expectations and objectives

While GiM research remains firmly on the agenda, our own research and practice as GiM scholars is increasingly under scrutiny in a competitive research assessment environment. A key aim of the joint-editorship is to organise to achieve an increase in the perceived and “measured” quality of GiM research. This requires that we:

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  are highly selective in publishing original contributions which significantly add to the research base of GiM;

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  continue to publish special issues in areas of contemporary GiM research;

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  are transparent and explicit about our expectations of rigour and quality of submitted papers;

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  make explicit expectations of style and structure of submitted papers; and

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  formalise the processes of submission and move to triple blind-review.

Against this context, we aim to retain the journal’s developmental approach to supporting the publication of research and encouraging early career researchers and practitioners to submit work for publication.

Our editorial objectives are:

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  To publish papers which advance gender in management and leadership knowledge and practice. For us, it is the subject of gender within the context of management and/or leadership which is the focus of the journal. Gender in Management: An International Journal is the only journal which focuses on the subject of gender, grounded within management and/or leadership contexts.

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  To enable a community for GiM researchers and practitioners to exchange ideas, develop and contribute to the research agendas and progress both the theoretical development and practice of gender in management and/or leadership.

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  To ensure Gender in Management: An International Journal is essential reading for those academics, students and practitioners who want an overview of the current research and practice base in gender in management and/or leadership.

Format of submissions

We have also refocused the parameters of the types of papers to be published. We warmly encourage the submission of empirical research, conceptual and thought pieces which are rigorously and/or reflexively presented and clearly make a contribution to advancing the research base. While encouraging empirical and evidence-based research, we aim to maintain a sound balance between theoretical and practice contributions and authors, regardless of type of manuscript, are asked to make the impact/practical implications of their work explicit. We have included extended guidance for contributors on the web site and are happy to continue to offer editorial support with colleagues to develop papers towards publication in a supportive way.

Expectations of submissions and covering letter

As a means of providing structure for the development of submissions, contributors are asked to consider when developing their papers, how their work advances the ongoing debates published in Gender in Management: An International Journal. Authors are, therefore, required to locate their own research within the existing research base, identify what readers will learn from reading the work and ensure that the original contribution offered by the paper to progress extant research is explicit.

To enable a more effective editorial process, contributors are asked to provide a covering letter outlining:

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  the type of paper they are submitting;

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  a brief summary of how the work advances the ongoing debates published in Gender in Management: An International Journal;

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  what the contribution is to theory and practice and why this is important in relation to the contribution; and

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  what the reader will learn from the work.

Gender in management: “other” research

We have also given consideration to the gendered nature of the perceptions of quality in GiM research and its “Othering”, in relation to what is perceived as “mainstream” business and management research. To raise the overall quality profile of Gender in Management: An International Journal in diverse journal lists and to retain inclusion in the UK Association of Business Schools journal list, we have to consider a number of qualitative perceptual influences and quantitative variables. One variable is the number of Gender in Management: An International Journal publications entered into the UK research assessment exercise – there were a total of 16 submitted in RAE2008.

It is an individual challenge to influence the inclusion of your own Gender in Management: An International Journal publication in an institution’s research assessment submission. This individual challenge can be career limiting. However, as a GiM community we can be our own advocates and utilise excellent high-quality Gender in Management: An International Journal research into our own scholarly publications and teaching delivery. We can also begin to find a voice, to influence and make explicit our experiences and struggles of securing inclusion in research assessment exercises through a forthcoming special issue call of GiM as “Other” Research – Experiences of University Research Quality Assessments.

Summary

To return to our co-editorship, we are excited and energised to be taking the journal forward and have summarised below the principles underpinning Gender in Management: An International Journal:

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  It is the subject of gender within the context of management and/or leadership which is the focus of the journal. In their manuscript, authors should explicitly outline their approach in relation to the subject, context and emphasis of their research aims within the boundaries of this journal.

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  It is our intention to publish empirical research, conceptual and thought pieces which are rigorously and/or reflexively presented and which clearly make a contribution to the research base. Therefore, authors should make explicit their reflexive practice.

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  Whilst encouraging empirical and evidence-based research, we aim to maintain a sound balance between theoretical and practice contributions and authors, regardless of type of manuscript, are asked to make explicit the impact/practical implications of their work.

We hope that the GiM community support us in making these changes; to ensure the quality of our research, in continuing to advocate and to influence on behalf of GiM research, and that GiM scholars and practitioners continue to submit their research to the journal to advance the field and impact on practice.

We very much look forward to receiving your submissions.

Best regards

Sharon Mavin, Sandra Fielden