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General Information

Contents

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What is Engaged Scholarship?

With engaged scholarship, we emphasize the pivotal role of a "problem of practice” as the origin of the research problem. An engaged scholarship research problem does not emerge from theory or past research conducted by your mentors. Grounding engaged scholarship research in a problem of practice is a means to pragmatically validate the actionable nature of engaged scholarship research. Classic doctoral research in management usually address research problems that can be (and usually are) based on some wrinkle or question that has been raised in in prior research applying or validating existing theory within strict disciplinary boundaries. It is typically informed by an established theory adopted from one social science (economics, psychology, sociology etc.) and applied in a management discipline (such as marketing). Because scholars are ‘applying’ it to an organizational setting, they believe its use is relevant to managers. In other words, in the classic doctoral process, work on a research problem starts with selecting an incomplete, tenuous or challengeable theory that intrigues a student, and then finding or testing an application for that theory in the discipline they are studying.

By contrast, with engaged scholarship, we do not choose research questions based on a theory that interests us, but based on the experience of difficulties, openings and opportunities in the world as encountered by managers. The research begins with the experience of a problem of practice, which is carefully articulated and conceptually developed into a more defined research problem and then further refined into a specific research question. During this process multiple points of evidence are used and thought to clarify the research problem, including literature reviews, discussions with faculty and other engaged scholarship students, and interviews and discussions with colleagues in your work domain. This back and forth from literature and theory to the experience of practitioners is key: it is a ‘cyclical’ process of reflection and articulation that unfolds throughout the whole engaged scholarship journey as one develops a deeper understanding of the relationships between a problem of practice, a research problem and a research question. In engaged scholarship the researcher will both refine and expand each of them during an ongoing inquiry.

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Tutorials

A tutorial for using the website by Authors can be found here.

A tutorial for using the website by Reviewers can be found here.

A tutorial for using the website by Associate Editors can be found here.

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Information for Authors

General Submission Rules

Submitted articles cannot be previously published, be forthcoming in an archival journal or book (print or electronic) or be under review in any journal. Please note: acceptance at a conference without archival proceedings such as AoM or "publication" in a working-paper series does not constitute prior publication but such submissions need to be reported while submitting to the journal. By submitting material to Engaged Management ReView, the author is stipulating that the material is not currently under review at another journal (electronic or print) and that he or she will not submit the material to another journal (electronic or print) until the completion of the editorial decision process at Engaged Management ReView.

Manuscript Categories

The journal publishes three genres of research—empirical, essay and translation papers—that communicate well how a specific practitioner-scholar inquiry has improved an organizational situation. The articles are expected to be structured with a stringent limit of 5,000 words for empirical and translation, and 8,000 words for essay papers, respectively. The journal also welcomes high-level reviews of relevant research streams that can inform engaged management scholarship. A short editorial note on the usefulness to management practice will accompany each published article.

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Frequency of Publication

The journal is electronic outlet. Initially, the journal will publish between 5 and 15 articles per volume. Each article will be published as a separate numbered article and will be made available as soon as it is ready to be published.

Overview of the Review Process

Mode: Double-blind (names of reviewers and authors are not revealed to each other).

Organization: The journal review procedures are monitored by an Editorial Board, consisting of an Editor-In-Chief (EiC), Associate Editors and Managing Editors. Each article will first be reviewed by the Editor-In-Chief (EiC) and/or one of the Associate Editors. If considered within the scope of the journal, the manuscript is then circulated to two or three reviewers where at least one of the reviewers is an academic and at least one is a practitioner scholar student or alumnus selected for their expertise in the research area of the submitted paper.

Acceptance rate: The initial target acceptance rate is expected to be around 30 of submitted papers.

Review cycle-time: Each review process from time of submission to posting online is expected to take no more than 4 months—the initial average cycle time is set up to be less than 70 days. The journal will allow in most cases at most 2 review cycles and seeks to make the acceptance decision on a timely basis.

Review Basics

EMR uses a double-blind peer review process on manuscripts to ensure both rigor and expediency.

  • Number of reviewers: most often three
  • Reviewer’s comments to authors: yes
  • Fees charged to review manuscript: no
  • Percentage of non-referred articles: none

    • Initial Review

    The Editor-in-Chief at EMR makes a decision about whether the manuscript fits within the guidelines of EMR, constitutes original research, and warrants a full, peer review. If the decision is negative, then the Editor-in-Chief will reject the submission and the author will be contacted by email of this decision.

    Full Review

    If the Editor-in-Chief’s initial review decision is positive, then a full, double-blind review will be conducted. The Editor-in-Chief will send the manuscript to an Associate Editor who is responsible for identifying reviewers. The EMR policy is to acquire three reviews however this number can be less at the discretion of the Editor-in-Chief. Reviewers normally have 28 days to complete their review. The Associate Editor then makes a recommendation to the Editor-in-Chief. If the changes are required, the full review cycle will be repeated.

    Acceptance

    Once the Associate Editor and Editor-in-Chief are satisfied with the changes requested, the manuscript will be accepted. Only very rarely will a manuscript be accepted without any revision.

    Revise and Resubmit

    If changes are required before being accepted to EMR, the author is expected to revise and resubmit the manuscript in order to be considered for acceptance. The manuscript will be sent back to the original reviewers as part of a second round of reviews. EMR anticipates usually two cycles will be the norm although in rare cases a third review may be possible. The author will receive the reviewer’s comments as well as the Associate Editor’s recommendation.

    Reject

    The manuscript may be rejected after the full review or the second round of full review. While naturally a disappointment, EMR hopes that the authors will appreciate the importance of a rigorous review process to ensure both scholarly rigor and practitioner relevance.

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    Empirical Paper Guidelines

    Overview: Empirical papers communicate significant empirical findings of practical and theoretical importance with a demonstrated influence on management practice. The genre is grounded on reporting findings of empirical inquiry to a problem of practice and the inquiry can be founded on qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods. The paper must be position the research within the literature, describe shortly but accurately methods used, provide in condensed form empirical and theoretical findings, and discuss clearly the lessons for practice.

    Structure: Each submission should follow a defined format with the following section headings. First, there should be a heading called Abstract with a maximum of 200 words. Second, a heading called Synopsis with five subheadings, for a total of 800 words maximum. The five Synopsis subheadings are: Purpose, Problem of Practice, Results, Conclusions, and Practical Relevance. Third, a heading called Methods with five subheadings, for a total of 200 words maximum. The five Methods subheadings are: Research Question; Method (to discuss whether quantitative, qualitative, or mixed method); Design (in other words, if qualitative, state whether ethnographic, grounded theory, case study, etc.; if quantitative, state whether casual comparative, correlational, experimental, etc.; if mixed method, describe each component and how employed); Sample Size; and Data Collection Strategy (i.e., if qualitative, unstructured observations, semi-structured interviews, focus groups, etc.; if quantitative, structured observations, questionnaires, tests, etc.). Fourth, the main body of the paper with a maximum of 3,000 words, with the following section headings: Practical Problem, Theoretical Framing, Findings, Lessons for Practice, Contribution to Theory, and Keywords. Fifth, a heading called Appendix on Method, which should not be longer than 1,000 words. If additional optional information is provided, it should be included in the appendix.

    Use Times Roman 12-point type and the 8.5 x 11 inch page setting. The document should be double spaced throughout; place page numbers in the upper-right corner; and leave top and side margins of at least one inch.

    The length of the submission should not exceed a maximum of 5,000 words. The word limit does not include items placed in appendices. As noted below in the Format section, use of citations should be kept to a maximum of twenty references that are key points to the literature. For citation and reference style, use the Academy of Management Journal style, which can be found here.

    The editors reserve the right to request the full research report from author on which the submission is based. If requested, the EMR editors will only use the full research report to help evaluate the EMR submission. Upon completion of its review, the EMR will return the full research report to the author(s) and remove the full research report from any EMR repository. The editors and reviewers have also right to ask for data sets on which the analysis is based. This can be in the form of co-variance matrices (for SEM based methods) or demonstration of the presence of data based in the case of qualitative methods.

    Each author of an accepted article is expected to serve as a reviewer for future submissions related to their area of research as determined by an editor. Each author of an accepted article is asked to submit a biographical sketch of about 100 words. The sketch should identify relevant professional occupations and, if possible, authors academic affiliation and degree (in progress or earned). Authors should identify their key contributions to the management practice and / or academic achievements. Contact information including affiliations, postal address and email address should be made available. During the review please keep the EMR managing editor informed of your changed address or long absence. A high- resolution photograph should also be provided.

    Process: Authors should review the EMR Mission Statement and Purpose prior to preparing their submission. Articles are submitted online. Accepted papers will be copy-edited by a professional copy editor. Authors are expected to review edits in page proofs. EMR will contact authors about one month after the managing editor assigns the manuscript to an issue.

    Format: Ensure key technical terms are defined. A technical term is a word or phrase that is not in general use, that is, not normally be in the dictionary with a meaning that anyone other than you would normally ascribe to it. Put quotation marks around the first appearance in your submission of each technical term and provide a definition in the Glossary.

    Avoid using abbreviations for the names of concepts. Use ordinary words for variable names, not code names or other abbreviations. Be consistent with naming conventions for constructs in text, tables and figures. Names of organizations and research instruments may be abbreviated, but give the full name the first time you mention one of these.

    Use text to describe mathematical concepts. In others words, use “we surveyed 200 engineers,” rather than “we surveyed n=200 engineers.” However, do use commonly accepted mathematical symbols such as ß for regression weights and numbers to report results. Numbers are presented at most with two decimals. Put spaces on either side of equals signs, minus signs, etc.

    Avoid language that might be interpreted as denigrating or biased. Write in the active voice (“They did it.”) instead of the passive voice (“It was done.”) to make it easier to for readers to see who did what. Use the first person (“I” or “we”) to describe what you, or you and your coauthors did.

    Tables and Figures can be used but they should be done sparingly and only when necessary to convey an important point central to the submission. Citations should be kept to a maximum of twenty (20) using the format provided by the website.

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    Essay Paper Guidelines

    Overview: These papers communicate significant theoretical, philosophical and methodological contributions to engaged management scholarship. These papers do not follow a strict predefined structure but need to cover research problem articulation, clear identification of the contribution to engaged management scholarship, and be grounded in significant and relevant literature review.

    Three Types of Essay Papers: (1) the Research Survey, a review of empirical and theoretical literature driven by a concern to understand a practice-based problem or issue; (2) the Theory Review, where the focus is on one (or more) theory from the existing management literature, or identifies a theory from a social science or related discipline that is not yet used in management or not used in a way the author thinks should; and (3) the Engaged Scholarship Debate, which examines the nature of engaged management phenomena (ontology) and methods for investigation them (epistemology).

    Examples of a Submission that are out of the Scope: Pedagogical papers that deal with teaching/education of engaged management scholarship, or academic surveys and tutorials of specific lines of management inquiry. These examples all fall outside the scope of the journal.

    Structure: Each type of essay papers is structured differently. (1) Research Survey, the body of the paper should have the following three sections: what we know from research; how the research has been framed; and how research findings can be applied in novel or different ways; (2) Theory Review, the following three sections: description of theory of interest; why theory can be helpful; and a proposal for how the theory can be newly applied in a practical situation; and (3) Engaged Scholarship Debate, the following four sections: description of ontological and/or epistemological issue; assumptions underlying the issue; the influence assumptions have on engaged management research; and discussion and review of the nature of evidence based management and related practices.

    The primary constraint for essay submissions is its length, which should not be longer than 8,000 words. References and appendices are not included in the word count. There is no limit on references. Include an abstract, no longer than 200 words. For citation and reference style, use the Academy of Management Journal style, which can be found here.

    Use Times Roman 12-point type and the 8.5 x 11 inch page setting. The document should be double spaced throughout; place page numbers in the upper-right corner; and leave top and side margins of at least one inch.

    Each author of an accepted article is expected to serve as a reviewer for future submissions related to their area of research as determined by an editor. Each author of an accepted article is asked to submit a biographical sketch of about 100 words. The sketch should identify relevant professional occupations and, if possible, your academic affiliation and degree (in progress or earned). You should identify also key contributions to the practice and / or academic achievements. You should include your email address. Please keep the EMR managing editor advised of your address or long absence. A high-resolution photograph should also be provided.

    Process: Authors should review the EMR Mission Statement and Purpose prior to preparing their submission. Submission of articles is accomplished via online. Accepted papers are copy-edited. Authors review edits in page proofs. EMR will contact authors about one month after the managing editor assigns the manuscript to an issue.

    Avoid using abbreviations for the names of concepts. Use ordinary words for variable names, not code names or other abbreviations. Be consistent with naming conventions for constructs in text, tables and figures. Names of organizations and research instruments may be abbreviated, but give the full name the first time you mention one of these.

    Use text to describe mathematical concepts. In others words, use “we surveyed 200 engineers,” rather than “we surveyed n=200 engineers.” However, do use commonly accepted mathematical symbols such as ß for regression weights and numbers to report results. Numbers are presented at most with two decimals. Put spaces on either side of equals signs, minus signs, etc.

    Avoid language that might be interpreted as denigrating or biased. Write in the active voice (“They did it.”) instead of the passive voice (“It was done.”) to make it easier to for readers to see who did what. Use the first person (“I” or “we”) to describe what you, or you and your coauthors did. Tables and Figures can be used but they should be done sparingly and only when necessary to convey an important point central to the submission.

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    Translation Paper Guidelines

    Overview: These papers communicate the experiences and outcomes that engaged management scholars have while translating their scholarship into practice. The papers do not have to follow a strict predefined empirical paper structure. In minimum they need to cover problem articulation (what situation was being sought to be improved by research results), a description of the translation context, a discussion of types of research findings that were being translated, and a clear identification of the contribution in terms of lessons learned associated with succeeding or failing in the translation.

    Structure: the body of the paper should have the following three section headings: (1) The Empirical Research, which should address the underlying framing of the engaged management scholarship influence being sought, the process of engagement and the empirical outcomes of translation, and the methodology employed studying the use of research knowledge in practical settings; (2) Methodology, which should address the method of how the translator developed insights into a practitioners need for the research results and how he or she collected evidence and used them to make inferences about the translation effort; and (3) Findings, which should include the description of the context of the translation that includes the transfer context, how the practitioner perceived the research being applicable, and how well the translated research was adopted or not adopted and what were the outcomes, the lessons for practice to include barriers and facilitations to the translation effort and whether each was adopted or not adopted and what were the outcomes, and the contributions to translation and/or knowledge transfer theory or any theory pragmatics or usable knowledge.

    The submission should not be longer than 5,000 words. References and appendices are not included in the word count. The use of citations should be kept to a maximum of twenty references that form key points to the literature. The abstract should be no longer than 150 words. For citation and reference style, use the Academy of Management Journal style, which can be found here.

    Use Times Roman 12-point type and the 8.5 x 11 inch page setting. The document should be double spaced throughout; place page numbers in the upper-right corner; and leave top and side margins of at least one inch.

    Each author of an accepted article is expected to serve as a reviewer for future submissions related to their area of research as determined by an editor. Each author of an accepted article is asked to submit a biographical sketch of about 100 words. The sketch should identify relevant professional occupations and, if possible, your academic affiliation and degree (in progress or earned). You should identify also key contributions to the practice and / or academic achievements. You should include your email address. Please keep the EMR managing editor advised of your address or long absence. A high-resolution photograph should also be provided.

    Process: Authors should review the EMR Mission Statement and Purpose prior to preparing their submission. Articles are submitted online. Accepted papers will be copy-edited by a professional copy editor. Authors are expected to review edits in page proofs. EMR will contact authors about one month after the managing editor assigns the manuscript to an issue.

    Format: Ensure key technical terms are defined. A technical term is a word or phrase that is not in general use, that is, not normally be in the dictionary with a meaning that anyone other than you would normally ascribe to it. Put quotation marks around the first appearance in your submission of each technical term and provide a definition in the Glossary.

    Avoid using abbreviations for the names of concepts. Use ordinary words for variable names, not code names or other abbreviations. Be consistent with naming conventions for constructs in text, tables and figures. Names of organizations and research instruments may be abbreviated, but give the full name the first time you mention one of these.

    Use text to describe mathematical concepts. In others words, use “we surveyed 200 engineers,” rather than “we surveyed n=200 engineers.” However, do use commonly accepted mathematical symbols such as ß for regression weights and numbers to report results. Numbers are presented at most with two decimals. Put spaces on either side of equals signs, minus signs, etc.

    Avoid language that might be interpreted as denigrating or biased. Write in the active voice (“They did it.”) instead of the passive voice (“It was done.”) to make it easier to for readers to see who did what. Use the first person (“I” or “we”) to describe what you, or you and your coauthors did. Tables and Figures can be used but they should be done sparingly and only when necessary to convey an important point central to the submission.

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    Reviewer Guidelines

    Familiarize yourself with the EMR

    EMR reviewers use an electronic review form made available within the electronic submission system. The form consists of the following sections:


  • Recommendation
  • Content
  • Format
  • Summary of article’s contribution
  • Article strengths
  • Article weaknesses
  • Comments to the Author

    • When you write your review
    Be Constructive - Don't just point out problems, also point out solutions.
    Be Concise - Try not to cover the same ground in multiple comments; consolidate your coverage of a given theme in a single point.
    Be Polite and Conversational - Be "author friendly" in your tone, and use terms like "you" instead of "the authors."
    Identify Some Strengths - Open your review with what you liked, before focusing the bulk of your review on your criticisms and concerns.
    Non-English Native Authors - You will sometimes be asked to review submissions from authors whose native language is not English. In those cases, distinguish between the quality of the writing and the quality of the ideas that the writing conveys. Those ideas may be good, even if they are not expressed well.
    Be On Time – EMR prides itself on cycle time. It is important to return your review on time so that the Associate Editor can guarantee the authors a quick turnaround.

    To submit your review

    • You will log in to EMR

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    The journal allows the author(s) to hold the copyright without restrictions and will retain publishing rights without restrictions.

    Open Access Policy

    All articles published in EMR are fully open access: free for everyone to read and use without charge to the user or his/her institution. Users are allowed to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles, or use them for any other lawful purpose without requesting permission from the publisher or the author provided that the original work is properly cited. This is in accordance with the Budapest Open Access Initiative (BOAI) definition of open access.

    General Terms and Conditions of Use

    Users of the Scholarly Commons @ Case Western Reserve University website and/or software agree not to misuse the Scholarly Commons @ Case Western Reserve University service or software in any way.

    The failure of Scholarly Commons @ Case Western Reserve University to exercise or enforce any right or provision in the policies or the Submission Agreement does not constitute a waiver of such right or provision. If any term of the Submission Agreement or these policies is found to be invalid, the parties nevertheless agree that the court should endeavor to give effect to the parties' intentions as reflected in the provision, and the other provisions of the Submission Agreement and these policies remain in full force and effect. These policies and the Submission Agreement constitute the entire agreement between Scholarly Commons @ Case Western Reserve University and the Author(s) regarding submission of the Article.

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    Call for Submissions

    The Call for Submissions can be found here.

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