The 50 Best Management Research Articles

Journal: strategic management journal.

Date: 23 January 2017

Abstract: This paper aims to focus on research regarding organizational learning and knowledge management, and to specifically investigate whether organizational learning has been conceptually absorbed by knowledge management. Design methodology approach is based on 16,185 articles from then Scopus and ISI web of science database, using vantage point 10.0 software.

Journal: Management review.

Date: 1st January 2018.

Abstract: Open science, as a common good, opens possibilities for the development of nations, through innovations and collaborative constructions, which help to democratize knowledge. Advances in this area are still emerging, and the open science, co-creation of knowledge and open innovation triangle, is presented as an opportunity to generate an original contribution from research to open educational theory and practices.

Abstract: Reattachment to work (i.e., rebuilding a mental connection to work) before actually starting work is important for work engagement during the day. Building on motivated action theory, this study examines anticipated task focus, positive affect, and job resources (job control and social support) as mediators that translate reattachment in the morning into work engagement during the day. We collected daily-survey data from 151 employees (a total of 620 days) and analyzed these data with a multilevel path model. We found that day-level reattachment to work in the morning predicted anticipated task focus, positive affect, social support, and job control through goal activation and that anticipated task focus, positive affect, social support, and job control predicted work engagement during the day. This study points to the important role of reattachment to work in employee experiences and behaviors throughout the workday and specifically highlights the benefits of such initial mental boundary crossing between life domains for employee engagement at work.

Date: March 12, 2019

Abstract: Relationships are fundamental to organizations and organizing. In this Special Topic Forum on the Changing Nature of Work Relationships, we describe important contextual shifts that have implications for work relationships: how they form and develop, what they look like, and what effects they may have. Throughout the articles, the authors take an expansive look at work relationships—considering the many types at multiple levels—and examine how they impact individuals and organizations. Here we review important insights produced by the authors: the centrality of work relationships, their dynamic nature, the reciprocity inherent in them, and the ways work relationships are shaped by their context, including technology and organizational structures and processes.

Date: 11 Oct., 2018

Abstract: Although human resource (HR) systems have received considerable research attention, our understanding of how, when, and why such systems influence employee and organizational outcomes remain incomplete. In this paper, we argue that studying HR systems in new, creative ways holds great potential for advancing strategic human resource management (SHRM) theory. We specifically show how examining novel research questions regarding the configuration (i.e., the types of practices included in an HR system), intensity (i.e., the number of practices included in an HR system and how frequently they are used), change (i.e., changes in the practices included in an HR system and their usage), and variance (i.e., differences in the use of an HR system’s practices across employees or organizational units) of HR systems can provide fresh insights into the functioning of HR systems. We discuss the theoretical, methodological, and practical implications of our analysis.

Date: July 9, 2018

Abstract: Business and demographic trends are conflating to bring language issues at work to the forefront. Although language has an inherent capacity for creating interpersonal bonds, it can also serve as a means of exclusion. The construct of linguistic ostracism encapsulates this phenomenon. Drawing on ethnolinguistic identity theory, we identify how linguistic ostracism influences two interpersonal work behaviors: interpersonal citizenship and interpersonal deviance. We conduct a set of studies that uses multisource data, data across time, and data from three countries. Our results reveal that linguistic ostracism was associated with the enactment of lower interpersonal citizenship behaviors and higher interpersonal deviance behaviors. We find that disidentification served as a mechanism to explain why linguistic ostracism resulted in interpersonal citizenship behaviors and interpersonal deviance behaviors. Furthermore, linguistically ostracized employees with low (vs. high) social self-efficacy engage in fewer interpersonal citizenship behaviors and greater interpersonal deviance behaviors. We discuss theoretical implications associated with the phenomenon of linguistic ostracism and the implications for managers working in linguistically diverse organizations.

Date: March 26, 2019

Abstract: In the last decades, there has been growing interest in the subject of the social relevance of management knowledge. A burgeoning scientific literature followed. This study seeks to map this vast territory and aspires to contribute to the discussion on how to make management research more socially relevant. We performed a citation network analysis centered on the Mode 1/Mode 2 knowledge production argument, given its influence in the debate on socially relevant research. The citation network encompasses 701 papers. We identified the top citers (authors who offer an overview of the literature), top cities (authors who made seminal contributions to the field) and the main path through the network (the trajectory of development for the literature in the field). These findings show a plethora of knowledge production models, conceptually attractive but empirically untested. We discuss how history and institutional features explain the current state of things and discuss changes that would make management research more suited to create relevant impactful knowledge.

Date: July 9, 2018

Abstract: Rather than introducing radical new “grand theory” paradigms, most theory contributions in strategic management extend, clarify, or apply received theories in new and interesting ways. Here we offer a guide on how to make these kinds of contributions to theory. The theory usually begins with a research question, which can come from the phenomenon of interest, variations/limitations of existing theory, or intellectual creativity. Along with with the question, there are a number of more craftsmanship‐level aspects of a theory where contributions can be made: the mode of theorizing, the level of analysis, an understanding of the underlying phenomenon, causal mechanisms, constructs and variables, and boundary conditions. These aspects of the theory lead to a set of outcomes in the form of explanations, predictions, or prescriptions. The articles in this special issue are interpreted through our framework as illustrations of this approach to making theory contributions.

Date: 05 March 2018

Abstract: Strategic Management Journal (SMJ) seeks to publish high‐quality theoretical research on a regular basis. By publishing theoretical research, SMJ advances the field of strategic management through insights and analyses that make sense of business phenomena and prior research findings and provide a foundation for new research.

Date: 22 March 2018

Abstract: Networks change when either the ties or the nodes are modified. Research on interfirm networks has conceptualized network change as driven almost exclusively by modifications in ties (additions and deletions). Yet firms frequently engage in actions that modify the ownership and existence of nodes: acquisitions ‘collapse’ nodes, divestitures ‘split’ nodes, industry entries ‘create’ nodes, and industry exits ‘remove’ nodes. The literature on corporate strategy and organizational networks have mostly overlooked the implications of node-modifying actions for network change and firm value. We explore those implications in three ways. First, we systematically analyze and compare the network-changing properties of the six node- and tie-changing actions. Second, we link the strategic objectives that boundedly rational firms pursue through each corporate action to changes in their ego network positions (openness, closure, and status). Third, we consider how these local network changes set off ripple effects that create externalities for the networks of the focal firm’s immediate partners and that modify the structure of the global network. The result is a much more expansive understanding of the mechanisms driving structural change in interfirm networks.

Date: 18 April, 2019

Abstract: Although many scholars and practitioners have assumed that workplace friendships lead to desirable organizational outcomes, a growing body of research suggests important complexities and downsides associated with them. This indicates a need to better understand how and when workplace friendships may lead to harmful outcomes, especially in light of organizational and technological shifts that are changing the way employees connect. Drawing on theories of close relationships, social exchange, and boundary management, we present a theoretical framework highlighting how four defining features of friendship (informality, voluntariness, communal norms, and socioemotional goals) are in tension with four fundamental elements of organizational life (formal roles, involuntary constraints, exchange norms, and instrumental goals). We also highlight how mutual self-disclosure and perceived similarity develop and deepen friendships but also lead to downsides for individuals, groups, and organizations. We articulate how specific features of a focal friendship clique (e.g., closeness, maturity, and status of members) may amplify or buffer negative aspects and how social media affect friendship formation and tensions. Our theoretical framework should inform new theory and research on positive relationships at work and boundary management of professional and personal identities, as well as how changes to work and technology affect workplace relationships.

Date: 11 Oct., 201

Journal: Academy of management journal

Date: 22nd July 2018

Abstract: how should or should not judge the quality of qualitative research? In this paper, we initiate a debate about evaluative criteria such as validity which should are or should be in use to asses the quality of qualitative manuscripts in international business. In opposition to most literature on how to conduct good social science research which is either empirically oriented or gives priority to theoretical and philosophical considerations, which tends to make empirical research look odd or irrelevant.

Journal: Academy of European management journal

Date: 4th November 2017

Abstract: This contribution aims to highlight the diversity in European qualitative management research as a way of celebrating its ongoing development within Europe. In recognizing the strengths that emerge from this diversity in epistemological traditions and methods, attention is drawn to the concerns increasingly expressed by qualitative researchers about growing pressures of standardization.

Journal: Academy of management learning and education journals.

Date:27th June 2018

Abstract: Despite the extensive use of qualitative research methods in the management field, little empirical attention has been paid to how business and management students learn qualitative research skills. Here I focus upon the experiences of MBA students who are conducting qualitative research for an assignment, many of whom are using qualitative research methods for the first time. Through an inductive analysis of students’ reflective accounts of the process, the challenges encountered in conducting qualitative research as a novice are highlighted and the links between the skills required for competent practice in this area and those required for more general managerial effectiveness demonstrated.

Journal: strategic management journal

Date: 26 June 2017

Abstract: This chapter aims to highlight the diversity in European qualitative management research as a way of celebrating its ongoing development within Europe. The dominance of non-qualitative approaches within North American journals leads to particular problems for European-based qualitative researchers. It is important to recognize that whereas there are many commonalities in quantitative methods, there is considerable variety in qualitative management research. The pressure to publish in US-based journals is one that many business school academics internationally face, and the performative nature of management and organizational research places particular institutional pressures on qualitative researchers that have been considered elsewhere.

Journal: Academy of European management review

Date:20th May 2018

Abstract: This paper explores the processes and outcomes of using three different forms of data analytic processes to analyses the same set of qualitative data. The dataset is 24 in‐depth qualitative interviews with taxi drivers about their experiences of dignity at work. To enable effective comparison of techniques, three types of analysis are used which rely on similar categorization processes: template analysis; story analysis; and metaphor analysis. In presenting the analysis the aims are to draw attention to the research questions and opportunities for theorizing that might be enabled by a given analytic approach and highlight some of the rich variety of analytic approaches available to the qualitative management researcher.

Journal: strategic management

Date: 15th February 2017

Abstract: This introduction to the special issue on strategic planning has four main parts. First comes a discussion of what makes public-sector strategic planning strategic. This discussion is meant to reduce confusion about what strategic planning is and is not. Next, we introduce in detail the five articles in the special issue and note their unique contributions to strategic planning research. Third, we provide a broad assessment of the current state of strategic planning research organized in terms of prominent themes in the literature and our assessment of how the articles address voids related to the themes.

Abstract: While previous research has highlighted the many benefits of middle management inclusion in strategizing, this paper analyses the flipside of middle management inclusion and how the engagement of middle managers can turn sour. Drawing on extensive data collected in a large, mature multinational engineering company, Mobility Solutions Inc., our study traces the unfolding relational dynamics between the top and middle managers causing middle managers to withdraw and disengage from their strategizing tasks. We explore this process in the context of a strategic initiative where initial enthusiasm to engage decreases over time and leads to what we conceptualize as “strategizing fatigue”. We introduce the concept of strategizing fatigue as the subjective feeling of exhaustion in middle managers when their strategizing efforts over time are not sufficiently recognized by top management and discuss antecedents and consequences of such fatigue.

Date: July 9, 2018

Journal: Academy of management journal.

Date:13 September 2017

Abstract: We review the literature on evidence-based best practices on how to enhance methodological transparency, which is the degree of detail and disclosure about the specific steps, decisions, and judgment calls made during a scientific study. We conceptualize lack of transparency as a "research performance problem" because it masks fraudulent acts, serious errors, and questionable research practices, and therefore precludes inferential and results from reproducibility. Our recommendations for authors guide how to increase transparency at each stage of the research process: 1. theory, 2. design, 3. measurement, 4. analysis, and 5. reporting of results.

Journal: Journal of management

Date: 2 February 2018

Abstract: Megaproject management (MPM) is a highly complex emerging research field with fragmental and diversified traits. Understanding the work on MPM and its classic texts can help advance the current body of knowledge significantly. However, to date, few quantitative methods exist that can determine the classic texts in MPM. This study aims to investigate the potential emergence of studies on MPM based on bibliometric techniques. We conducted a bibliographic meta-network analysis for the most cited classic texts in five selected management theories as a reference group. By comparing the results from the reference group and MPM, we identified and discussed several key features in the current MPM studies.

Journal: Academy of management review

Date:12th May 2017

Abstract: A systematic literature review in business and management studies was conducted, which paints a portrait of the existing literature on skilled migrants' host country career experiences. Core themes arising from this review are presented, including labeling inconsistency concerning the population; the need for including skilled migrant managers and business professionals in research and a more relational, holistic realization of skilled migrants' careers. In underlining the gaps in the literature and research in this area, a research agenda is proposed. The review is relevant for individuals following careers in a foreign country; for organizations employing and developing the careers of internationally mobile employees; and for human resource management professionals supporting international employees.

Journal: Academy of management

Date: 9th July 2018

Abstract: Studies assessing the link between corporate social and/or environmental performance and financial performance of firms, as well as those evaluating the performance of socially responsible investments and investment funds have failed at reaching a consensus. Therefore, this paper conducts an evidence-based evaluation of the performance of environmentally responsible investment funds.

Journal: Journal of management

Date: 21st May 2017

Abstract: This paper provides a transdisciplinary critical review of the literature on maternity management in small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs), embedded within the wider kinds of literature on maternity in the workplace. The key objectives are to describe what is known about the relations that shape maternity management in smaller workplaces and to identify research directions to enhance this knowledge. The review is guided by a theory of organizational gendering and small business management, conceptualizing adaptions to maternity as a process of mutual adjustment and dynamic capability within smaller firms' informally negotiated order, resource endowments and wider labor and product/service markets.

Journal: strategic management journal

Date: November 4, 2018

Abstract: Many studies of inter-organizational relationships assume that trust between organizations is symmetric. In this essay, we explore the origins of this assumption and examine relevant quantitative and qualitative evidence from the kinds of literature on strategy, marketing, supply chain management, and information systems. We conclude that no systematic evidence currently exists to support the assumption that inter-organizational trust is typically symmetric. We explore how the possibility of asymmetry complicates interpretation of previous research on the effects of inter-organizational trust. We encourage further research to identify conditions under which symmetry is likely, and offer a variety of strategies that scholars may use to deal with potential asymmetry.

Journal: Journal of management

Date: 14 August 2017

Abstract: This study integrates two disparate genres within tie-strength literature into one model to investigate the mechanisms for value creation in the buyer-supplier context. This research brings together the opposite ends of the tie-strength continuum: the “weak ties,” which are instrumental in tapping into novel ideas and emerging technologies, and the “strong ties,” which promote joint resource investments and capability development. By doing so, we bring salience to the existence of “intermediate ties” and their implications for value creation. Even though the intermediate ties are likely most common in the buyer-supplier context, they have been given short shrift in the literature. We predict a U-shaped relation, where weak ties and strong ties are more effective than intermediate ties in value creation.

Journal: Journal of management

Date: 8, February 2017

Abstract: Aiming at a better understanding of the extent to which Africa-focused research has helped develop context-bound, context-specific, and context-free knowledge, the authors present the findings from a literature review of journal articles with an African context. A systematic search resulted in 271 articles with African data and 139 Africa-focused articles published in 63 top business journals and related (sub)disciplines from 2010 onwards. The sample included all journals belonging to the University of Texas (UT) Dallas and Financial Times research rankings, as well as the main international business, and business and society outlets. An in-depth analysis of the 139 Africa-focused articles shows an important imbalance in terms of publication patterns, topics covered, theoretical groundings, types of contributions, approaches to the African contexts, and empirics.

Journal: Academy of management journal

Date: 19 June 2019

Abstract: Stakeholders are critical to the strategy process, but in strategy research, they are rarely seen nor heard. The purpose of this paper is to reveal their invisible presence and bring them 'in from the cold.' The research reported in this paper set out to explore the significance of stakeholders to members of a senior management team seeking to develop the strategy.

Journal: strategic management journal

Date: 03 December 2018

Abstract: This study explores the evolution of strategic management research lines in the hospitality and tourism field as a scientific field. To this end, co-word analysis is employed for 2577 strategic management articles related to the hospitality and tourism field that were published in leading hospitality and tourism focused journals and business/management journals.

Journal: strategic management journal

Date: 20 February 2018

Abstract: Strategic planning constitutes an essential managerial task. The existence of a coherent and consistent strategic plan is considered a prerequisite for strategy implementation and execution. As a task, strategic planning requires a profound understanding of a firm's competitive environment, organizational context, and business operations. We investigate whether a domain-specific modeling method extending existing enterprise modeling methods can address the essential requirements of the domain of strategic planning.

Journal: Academy of management

Date: 05th May 2018

Abstract: The focus of this research is locational resources in overlapping value-adding webs of firms who at the same time may be embedded in global value chains. Through global value chains, regions are both vulnerable to exclusion and hence job loss. However, they also have opportunities to develop value-adding and job generation activities that are integrated into global value chains. The purpose of this chapter is to bring together a strategic firm perspective with cluster management activities.

Journal: strategic management

Date: 20th April 2018

Abstract: With this chapter, the attention moves to the portfolio (multi-project) level. Project interdependencies are presented. A multi-project management methodology is illustrated, including suggestions for a standard project sheet to compare different projects. The organizational solution is represented by the Project Management Office(r). The 3R matrix (relevance, risk, resources) is used to visualize the projects portfolio. The PMI processes for Portfolio Management are also reported.

Journal: strategic management journal

Date: 2nd February 2018

Abstract: This research endeavors to address the question of how to enhance project performance by exploring the relationships among information technology (IT) governance, project governance, and project performance. The research utilizes an empirical survey methodology. The survey of 533 working professionals in various industries renders 282 usable responses or a response rate of 53.91%. The results suggest that both IT governance and project governance have a positive impact on project performance.

Journal: Academy of management

Date: 6th November 2017

Abstract: Over the past three decades, scholars have increasingly come to view knowledge as one of the most important resources necessary for the successful organization in the contemporary socioeconomic landscape. In our vigor to understand how organizations may harness the diverse knowledge available to them, however, we have produced a disparity in our theories of knowledge management (KM) processes.

Journal: strategic management

Date: 27th October 2019

Abstract: Our previous discussion of the evolution of management systems easily gives the impression of a logical untroubled progression from one system to another. The progression was slow, turbulent, and accompanied by setbacks, whenever the new system disturbed what Machiavelli described as the ‘historical order of things' within the firm. The evolution of first strategic planning and then the evolution of strategic management described in this chapter are examples of such disturbances.

Journal: Journal of management

Date: 23rd January 2017

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to identify and analyses collaborative risk management (CRM) literature to establish its current position in supply chain risk management (SCRM) and propose an agenda for future research.

Design/methodology/approach

A systematic literature review of 101 peer-reviewed articles over 21 years was employed to analyses literature and synthesize findings to clarify terminology, definitions, CRM capabilities, and underlying theory.

Journal: Journal of management

Date: 13th September 2017

Abstract: This paper critically reviews commentaries on the evaluation and promotion of qualitative management research. The review identifies two disjunctures: between methodological prescriptions for epistemologically diverse criteria and management journal prescriptions for standardized criteria; and between the culturally dependent production of criteria and their positioning in editorials and commentaries as normative and objective.

Journal: Journal of management

Date: 20th January 2019

Abstract: Apart from fair dealing for the purpose of research or private study, or criticism or review, as permitted under the copyright, designs or patients act, 1988, this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, only with the prior permission in writing of the publishers, or in case of reprographic reproduction, in accordance with the terms of licenses issued by the copyright licensing agency.

Journal: Academy of management

Date: 9th July 2018

Abstract: Studies assessing the link between corporate social and/or environmental performance and financial performance of firms, as well as those evaluating the performance of socially responsible investments and investment funds have failed at reaching a consensus. Therefore, this paper conducts an evidence-based evaluation of the performance of environmentally responsible investment funds.

 Journal: Journal of management.

     Date: 9th July 2018

     Abstract: In the rare event that a hospital confronts radical change, care activities must remain performant despite disruptions and unanticipated influences, otherwise patients may lose their lives. The reliable coordination of care work is central to this challenge because critically ill patients must get the appropriate treatment at the right time by the right specialists in the most cost-effective manner possible. Recent organizational research has shown that care coordination practices are emergent and socially situated but has paid less attention to the spatial context in which care work unfolds.

Journal: Journal of management.

Date: 6 November 2017.

Abstract: Over the past three decades, scholars have increasingly come to view knowledge as one of the most important resources necessary for the successful organization in the contemporary socioeconomic landscape. In our vigor to understand how organizations may harness the diverse knowledge available to them, however, we have produced a disparity in our theories of knowledge management (KM) processes.

Journal: Academy of management review.

Date: 9th March 2018.

Abstract: Contracting out public sector services and divesting public enterprises are reforms that have enjoyed widespread global popularity in recent years. Better services, lower prices, and greater accountability are the promises made by politicians, senior executives, and investment companies when functions are moved from the public sector to private enterprise. But in Privatization, Graeme A. Hodge challenges these assumptions.

Journal: Journal of management.

Date: 11th May 2018.

Abstract: The authors offer profound insights into three crucial areas of leadership: culture, structure, and public accountability. Drawing on areas outside education, such as advertising and business, they discuss many innovations that are already current - flextime, the vertical curriculum, mastery learning, community support - and depict ways in which these can be brought together into a total educational experience.

Journal: Academy of management review.

Date: 5th March 2018.

Abstract:  Confronted with rising citizen discontent, the Reinventing Government movement, and new technological challenges, public organizations everywhere are seeking means of improving their performance. Their quest is not new, rather, the concern with improving the performance of government organizations has existed since the Scientific Management Movement.

Journal: strategic management

Date: 27th October 2018

Abstract: This chapter presents a procedure by which a firm can determine its future general management capability profile. The first version of this procedure appeared in 1976 (Ansoff et al. in From Strategic Planning to Strategic Management. Wiley, New York, 1976-F). The revised procedure presented here has been repeatedly tested in practice with satisfactory results.

Journal: Journal of management

Date: 22nd June 2018

Abstract: Organizational teams frequently come into conflict with one another over limited resources. Core theories of intergroup conflict suggest that such inter-team resource conflicts unite teams internally, reducing intrateam power struggles. However, conflict spillover theory suggests that inter-team conflicts may also stimulate competitive power dynamics within teams. We reconcile these two opposing lines of thought by introducing the internal power structure of teams as the key moderator that determines whether inter-team conflict reduces or promotes power struggles within teams.

Journal: Academy of management review

Date: 1st December 2018

Abstract: Business model innovation has become an increasingly hot topic in management circles, and understandably so. No management activity is more important than having clarity about how the organization creates, delivers, and captures value. It requires, among other things, knowing what customers want, how value can be best delivered, and how to enlist strategic partners to achieve maximum benefit.

Journal: Academy of management journal

Date: March 2018

Abstract: This article reviews and critically examines 77 journal articles published from 2005 to 2016 on the fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) applied in business and management research on the fields of entrepreneurship and innovation research. The findings reveal that the number of fsQCA applications has sharply increased during the past few years. Stemming from the systematic literature review, core aspects dealing with firm performance and innovation are identified. Ultimately, we provide promising areas with future potential for the application of fsQCA such as the elaboration of the antecedents leading to business model innovation.

Journal: Journal of management

Date: 2nd July 2018

Abstract: Making inter-organizational cooperation successful proves a daunting task. While current approaches to interorganizational performance management (PM) highlight why inter-organizational cooperation matters and which phases are required, it remains silent on the dynamics of inter-organizational PM. That is, how can PM evolve with and contribute to inter-organizational cooperation. The purpose of this paper is to increase understanding of interorganizational PM.

Journal: Academy of the management review journal

Date: 2nd October 2017

Abstract: The purpose of and contributions associated with review papers can vary depending on their specific type and research question, but in general, they aim to resolve definitional ambiguities and outline the scope of the topic, provide an integrated, synthesized overview of the current state of knowledge, identify inconsistencies in prior results and potential explanations as well as evaluate existing methodological approaches and unique insights.

Journal: Academy of management review.

Date: 6 December 2017.

Abstract: Small‐business social responsibility (SBSR) related research is rapidly increasing in quantity, but is found in divergent kinds of literature and disciplines. It is time to offer a comprehensive review that identifies, synthesizes and integrates previous research, and highlights the knowledge gaps and the way forward.