Print

Papers / Materials Acceptable for Publication in SAJM

This note provides guidance to prospective authors on the types of scholarly materials considered for publication in the South Asian Journal of Management (SAJM). SAJM publishes only original contributions and considers the following five categories of manuscripts:

  • Empirical Research Papers
  • Conceptual / Review Papers
  • Research Notes
  • Case Studies
  • Book Reviews

A brief description of the expected content, structure, and scholarly rigor for each category is provided below.

1. Empirical Research Papers

An empirical research paper should investigate a problem relevant to management theory and practice through systematic analysis of primary and/or secondary data.

Such papers are expected to be structured around the following sections (or their conceptual equivalents):

Section Expectations
Introduction Clearly explains the research problem, objectives, and their practical and theoretical context.
Literature Review Builds the theoretical argument for the study, establishes the research gap, and supports the development of hypotheses. The review should be analytical and integrative, not a mere listing of prior studies or textbook summaries.
Hypotheses / Research Questions Clearly stated and logically derived from the literature review and practical experience, with explicit research goals.
Methodology Justifies the choice of data, instruments, sampling, and analytical techniques. Reliability and validity of measures must be well established.
Findings / Results Explains results with reference to hypotheses, theory, and expectations from prior studies. Unexpected findings should be critically examined.
Implications for Theory and Practice Discussed in two parts: (a) theoretical implications and (b) practical implications. Recommendations must be strictly grounded in the study’s findings and should not resemble broad consultant-style prescriptions.

Authors should also clearly state the limitations of the study and indicate directions for future research.

2. Conceptual / Review Papers

Conceptual papers aim to extend the frontiers of knowledge in a particular area of management by integrating, synthesizing, and/or reinterpreting findings from prior studies.

While such papers do not involve original data collection or analysis, they must:

  • Demonstrate a comprehensive and focused review of relevant literature
  • Integrate existing findings into a coherent theoretical framework
  • Offer new perspectives, models, or paradigms

Authors are encouraged to present theoretical propositions, particularly contingency-based propositions, that can be empirically tested by future researchers.

3. Research Notes

Research notes are empirical contributions evaluated with the same rigor as full empirical research papers. They differ only in scale or scope, not in methodological quality.

A manuscript may be considered a research note if:

  • The research addresses a relatively simple or exploratory theme
  • The study is based on a limited sample
  • The primary focus is on developing or refining a research method or analytical technique

Although research notes are usually shorter than empirical papers, their structure and writing style should closely follow that of empirical research papers.

4. Case Studies

Case studies should present real organizational situations drawn from corporate, entrepreneurial, government, non-profit, or service-sector organizations.

Key expectations for case studies include:

  • Focus on specific problems, issues, strategies, processes, or actions
  • Avoid general descriptions of organizational structure or functions
  • Normally disclose the identity of the organization concerned

It is the responsibility of the author(s) to obtain written permission from the organization to publish the case study, even if the organization’s identity is disguised. SAJM may request documentary evidence of such permission.

Where the central theme of the case is not immediately evident, authors should provide a Teaching Note. Where industry-specific knowledge is required to interpret the case, an Industry Note should also be included.

If a case (or set of cases) is subjected to qualitative or quantitative analysis aimed at theory development or testing, it will be treated as an empirical research paper and must follow the corresponding guidelines.

5. Book Reviews

Book reviews are published primarily to introduce recently published books to SAJM’s readership, particularly those addressing new themes, practices, methods, or innovative presentation styles.

A book review should go beyond summarizing content and must include a critical evaluation of both the book and the underlying theme.

Contents of a Book Review
  • Full bibliographic details at the beginning (title, author, publisher, place, year, ISBN, pages, price)
  • Brief background of the book’s theme from the reviewer’s perspective
  • Highlights or outline of the book’s contents
  • Critical assessment and appreciation of the book
  • Reviewer’s recommendations, if any
  • Reviewer’s name, designation, institution, city, and email address at the end

To support the critique, reviewers may cite up to five key references, where necessary.

Interested reviewers may contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for details.