- Email: [email protected]
A look back and ahead
EDITOR’SNOTE
A Look Back and Ahead Fred Luthans
I
nstead of an editorial comment on each issue, we have chosen to communicate on an annual basis in this year ending winter issue. Like in the Christmas letter that is becoming increasingly popular with families and close friends in the U. S. at this time of year, there is a fine line between being informative and “bragging” too much. At the end of this second year of JWB, we now feel we have made it through the start-up phase and have “turned the corner” in meeting our stated challenge of a year ago of sustainability and continuous improvement. A quick review of the index found at the end of this issue indicates that the mission of JWB is being met. Specifically, this volume’s articles that made it through the editorial process were based on a scholarly foundation, but were very readable and highly relevant to international business academics and practicing professionals. We believe we have achieved a good balance between strategy, human resources and marketing. In other words, we feel that the articles this past year have sound theoretical and research foundations and provide a bridge to the effective practice of international business. Anbar Electronic Intelligence, based in the United Kingdom, provides an
John W. Slocum, Jr.
international library that gives practitioners and scholars immediate access world-wide to the latest and the most significant thinking, practice and solutions from the entire management field. Each year Anbar creates a list of the world’s most important journals. The list is determined by Anbar’s Accreditation Board, comprised of senior academics and practitioners, based upon library holdings of international centers of excellence. JWB falls into their Strategy section, consisting of 54 publications. We have just learned that during our first year of publication (1997), we were ranked #l in Practical Implication, #4 in Readability, and #16 in both Research Implication and Originality. Not bad for the “new kid on the block.” So much for the “bragging” part of this note. We would also like to take this opportunity to thank our outgoing subject editors and introduce the new editors of the JWB team. We called on the experts and our friends to get JWB started in the right direction. Randy Schuler (Editor, International Human Resources Management), Dick Osborn (Editor, International Strategic Management), Mike Harvey (Editor, International Marketing), Dexter Dunphy (Editor, Pacific Rim), and Pat Joynt (Editor, Europe) all delivered, as we A Look Back and Ahead
329
both are prone to say, “big-time!” Frankly, these editors and their reviewers deserve credit for the success of the past two years of the journal and the coming year. To indicate their continued commitment, all have agreed to remain as members of the editorial board and Mike Harvey has agreed to another editorial term. We would also like to sincerely thank our editorial assistant, Billie Boyd of SMU, for keeping John in line for Fred and Fred in line for John (no easy task), and for doing all the behind the scenes details of running an international journal. She does a great job. We are excited and feel very fortunate to have the following new editors for the next term: Susan Schneider, HEC University of Geneva (Editor, Europe); David Schweiger, University of South Carolina (Editor, International Strategic Management); Rosalie Tung, Simon Fraser University (Editor, International Human Resources Management); and Elizabeth Weldon, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Editor, Asia/Pacific). They will also be bringing a number of new members to the editorial review board, as indicated on the Editorial Page. Besides our editorial team transition, there is also a publisher transition for JT;vB. JAI Press Inc. has been acquired by the well known international publisher Elsevier. We would like to take this opportunity to publicly thank and recognize the major contributions that Herb Johnson (the “J” in JAI), owner, President and Publisher, has made to us personally, JWB, and the entire field of management and business administration. He has played a very significant 330
Journal of World Business / 33(4) I 1998
role in publishing our field’s body of knowledge. At the same time, we look forward to working with Elsevier and Roger Dunn, the new Managing Director of JAI Press Inc. and Ablex Publishing Corporation. For 1999, we already have the beginnings of an exciting line-up for JWB. The spring will feature our first special issue on China, edited by our new Asia/ Pacific Editor, Elizabeth Weldon. It includes articles with a China focus on human resources, strategies, culture, foreign investment, and joint ventures. Future issues will also contain articles on cutting edge topics such as unbundling European operations, transferring competitive advantage across borders, learning in international strategic alliances, and a hybrid model of MNC performance. These and other scholarly, high-interest articles are helping to make our initial vision for JWB become a reality. We welcome suggestions and feedback from subscribers, readers, authors or anyone else. Prospective authors should exactly follow the guidelines for submission and you will receive our constructive and timely feedback. All U. S. manuscripts should be submitted in quadruplicate to John Slocum, Cox School of Business, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX 75275-0333, or e-mail your manuscripts to John ([email protected]). His office will acknowledge the receipt of the manuscript and forward it on to the appropriate editor for the review process. Manuscripts submitted by European authors should be submitted directly to Susan Schenider, HEC University of Geneva, CH 1211 Geneva,
Switzerland (e-mail: susanschneider@ hec.unige.ch). Authors in Asia, Australia, and New Zealand should submit manuscripts directly to Elizabeth Weldon, School of Business and Manage-
ment, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong (e-mail: [email protected]).
A Look Back and Ahead
331
A Look Back and Ahead Fred Luthans
I
nstead of an editorial comment on each issue, we have chosen to communicate on an annual basis in this year ending winter issue. Like in the Christmas letter that is becoming increasingly popular with families and close friends in the U. S. at this time of year, there is a fine line between being informative and “bragging” too much. At the end of this second year of JWB, we now feel we have made it through the start-up phase and have “turned the corner” in meeting our stated challenge of a year ago of sustainability and continuous improvement. A quick review of the index found at the end of this issue indicates that the mission of JWB is being met. Specifically, this volume’s articles that made it through the editorial process were based on a scholarly foundation, but were very readable and highly relevant to international business academics and practicing professionals. We believe we have achieved a good balance between strategy, human resources and marketing. In other words, we feel that the articles this past year have sound theoretical and research foundations and provide a bridge to the effective practice of international business. Anbar Electronic Intelligence, based in the United Kingdom, provides an
John W. Slocum, Jr.
international library that gives practitioners and scholars immediate access world-wide to the latest and the most significant thinking, practice and solutions from the entire management field. Each year Anbar creates a list of the world’s most important journals. The list is determined by Anbar’s Accreditation Board, comprised of senior academics and practitioners, based upon library holdings of international centers of excellence. JWB falls into their Strategy section, consisting of 54 publications. We have just learned that during our first year of publication (1997), we were ranked #l in Practical Implication, #4 in Readability, and #16 in both Research Implication and Originality. Not bad for the “new kid on the block.” So much for the “bragging” part of this note. We would also like to take this opportunity to thank our outgoing subject editors and introduce the new editors of the JWB team. We called on the experts and our friends to get JWB started in the right direction. Randy Schuler (Editor, International Human Resources Management), Dick Osborn (Editor, International Strategic Management), Mike Harvey (Editor, International Marketing), Dexter Dunphy (Editor, Pacific Rim), and Pat Joynt (Editor, Europe) all delivered, as we A Look Back and Ahead
329
both are prone to say, “big-time!” Frankly, these editors and their reviewers deserve credit for the success of the past two years of the journal and the coming year. To indicate their continued commitment, all have agreed to remain as members of the editorial board and Mike Harvey has agreed to another editorial term. We would also like to sincerely thank our editorial assistant, Billie Boyd of SMU, for keeping John in line for Fred and Fred in line for John (no easy task), and for doing all the behind the scenes details of running an international journal. She does a great job. We are excited and feel very fortunate to have the following new editors for the next term: Susan Schneider, HEC University of Geneva (Editor, Europe); David Schweiger, University of South Carolina (Editor, International Strategic Management); Rosalie Tung, Simon Fraser University (Editor, International Human Resources Management); and Elizabeth Weldon, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Editor, Asia/Pacific). They will also be bringing a number of new members to the editorial review board, as indicated on the Editorial Page. Besides our editorial team transition, there is also a publisher transition for JT;vB. JAI Press Inc. has been acquired by the well known international publisher Elsevier. We would like to take this opportunity to publicly thank and recognize the major contributions that Herb Johnson (the “J” in JAI), owner, President and Publisher, has made to us personally, JWB, and the entire field of management and business administration. He has played a very significant 330
Journal of World Business / 33(4) I 1998
role in publishing our field’s body of knowledge. At the same time, we look forward to working with Elsevier and Roger Dunn, the new Managing Director of JAI Press Inc. and Ablex Publishing Corporation. For 1999, we already have the beginnings of an exciting line-up for JWB. The spring will feature our first special issue on China, edited by our new Asia/ Pacific Editor, Elizabeth Weldon. It includes articles with a China focus on human resources, strategies, culture, foreign investment, and joint ventures. Future issues will also contain articles on cutting edge topics such as unbundling European operations, transferring competitive advantage across borders, learning in international strategic alliances, and a hybrid model of MNC performance. These and other scholarly, high-interest articles are helping to make our initial vision for JWB become a reality. We welcome suggestions and feedback from subscribers, readers, authors or anyone else. Prospective authors should exactly follow the guidelines for submission and you will receive our constructive and timely feedback. All U. S. manuscripts should be submitted in quadruplicate to John Slocum, Cox School of Business, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX 75275-0333, or e-mail your manuscripts to John ([email protected]). His office will acknowledge the receipt of the manuscript and forward it on to the appropriate editor for the review process. Manuscripts submitted by European authors should be submitted directly to Susan Schenider, HEC University of Geneva, CH 1211 Geneva,
Switzerland (e-mail: susanschneider@ hec.unige.ch). Authors in Asia, Australia, and New Zealand should submit manuscripts directly to Elizabeth Weldon, School of Business and Manage-
ment, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong (e-mail: [email protected]).
A Look Back and Ahead
331