International Journal of Management

The editors of the International Journal of Management (IJM) play a vital role in maintaining the journal’s academic quality, ethical standards, and editorial integrity. Editors are committed to ensuring a fair, transparent, and rigorous peer-review process while fostering excellence in scholarly publishing. All editorial decisions are guided by principles of objectivity, professionalism, confidentiality, and adherence to internationally recognized publishing standards.

Editorial Responsibilities

Editors are responsible for:

• Conducting an initial assessment of submitted manuscripts to determine their suitability for the journal.
• Assigning qualified and independent peer reviewers based on subject expertise.
• Overseeing the peer-review process to ensure fairness, timeliness, and academic rigor.
• Making editorial decisions based on the quality, originality, significance, and validity of the research.
• Ensuring compliance with the journal’s ethical standards, editorial policies, and publication guidelines.
• Maintaining professional and constructive communication with authors, reviewers, and editorial board members.
• Supporting the growth, reputation, and international visibility of the journal by encouraging high-quality submissions.

Fair and Impartial Decision-Making

Editorial decisions must be made solely on the basis of scholarly merit and relevance to the journal’s scope. Editors are expected to:

• Evaluate manuscripts objectively, without discrimination based on race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, religion, institutional affiliation, or personal beliefs.
• Base decisions exclusively on academic quality, originality, methodological rigor, and contribution to the field.
• Avoid any form of bias or preferential treatment during the editorial process.
• Recuse themselves from handling manuscripts where a conflict of interest exists, including personal, professional, financial, or collaborative relationships with authors.

Confidentiality

Editors are entrusted with safeguarding the confidentiality of all submitted materials and editorial communications. Editors must:

• Treat all manuscript submissions as confidential documents.
• Refrain from disclosing information about submitted manuscripts to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, editorial staff, or publisher as appropriate.
• Protect the identity of reviewers in accordance with the journal’s peer-review model.
• Ensure that unpublished content is not used for personal research or professional advantage without the explicit consent of the authors.

Ethical Oversight and Research Integrity

Editors are responsible for promoting the highest standards of research integrity and publication ethics. They are expected to identify, investigate, and respond appropriately to potential cases of:

• Plagiarism and duplicate publication.
• Data fabrication, falsification, or manipulation.
• Citation manipulation and unethical publication practices.
• Authorship disputes and undisclosed conflicts of interest.
• Ethical concerns involving human participants, animals, or research compliance.

All allegations of misconduct will be handled in accordance with internationally recognized ethical standards and the principles established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

Handling Complaints and Appeals

The journal is committed to addressing complaints and appeals in a fair, transparent, and timely manner. Editors are responsible for:

• Investigating complaints concerning editorial decisions, reviewer conduct, publication ethics, or journal procedures.
• Providing impartial and evidence-based responses to concerns raised by authors, reviewers, or readers.
• Ensuring that appeals are reviewed independently when appropriate.
• Referring complex or serious matters to the Editor-in-Chief or the Journal Ethics Committee for further consideration.

Editorial Board Participation

Members of the Editorial Board are expected to actively contribute to the development and advancement of the journal by:

• Participating in editorial board meetings and strategic discussions.
• Assisting in the identification and recruitment of qualified reviewers and editorial board members.
• Providing guidance and mentorship to emerging scholars where appropriate.
• Promoting the journal within academic, professional, and research communities.
• Supporting initiatives that enhance the journal’s quality, visibility, and impact.

Commitment to Ethical Publishing

IJM is committed to maintaining the highest standards of editorial independence, academic integrity, and ethical publishing. Editors are expected to perform their duties with professionalism, transparency, accountability, and respect for all participants in the scholarly communication process.

Contact and Further Information

For questions regarding this Editorial Policy or to report an ethical concern, please contact:

Email: editor@ij-management.co.uk
Website: https://ij-management.co.uk

The editorial team welcomes inquiries and is committed to ensuring a fair, ethical, and transparent publication process for all contributors.