How international are the top academic journals? The case of marketing

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to assess the level of international involvement in the editorial boards and content of the leading journals of the marketing discipline to investigate a reported bias against non‐US material.Design/methodology/approachThe research employed two approaches: editorial board and content analysis of ten leading marketing journals, and interviews with an expert panel of senior marketing academics.FindingsThe top journals of the marketing journal were found to have low levels of international involvement, with high proportions of both US authors and data, and US membership of editorial boards. The editorial board analysis also revealed institutional links with journal boards, and a network of overlapping membership between the editorial boards. The expert panel provided divergent views on reasons for the USA dominance, but the board analysis seemed to best fit with the suggestion of networks of scholars who are naturally inclined to favor research that fits their world view.Practical implicationsTo improve publishing success under the current status quo, scholars can emulate the favored (US) research approach and writing style; network with the “right” people; or raise a new research paradigm to dominance. Journal editors can increase the diversity in editorial boards to encourage international involvement in their publications.Originality/valueThe research combines traditional empirical investigation with qualitative input via an expert panel to provide new insight into barriers to global dissemination of scholarly research.

Assessing the Trends and Challenges of Teaching Marketing Abroad: A Delphi Approach

“…The internationalization of marketing education is also the result of faculty activities beyond the classroom, including participation in marketing research. Although top marketing journals have been found to have a lower level of international involvement compared to the number of U.S. marketing educators in terms of the number of published articles (Rosenstreich & Wooliscroft, 2006) and membership on review boards (Polonsky, Garma, & Mittelstaedt, 2006), increased scholarship in marketing from non-U.S. educators could be enhanced if journals would appoint multinational editors, diversify their review boards, and actively seek articles from authors from outside the United States (Svensson, 2005). In addition, the issue of global relevance of the research that is published needs to be explored.…”

Contributors to the American Sociological Review, 2010

“…This means that while significant proportions of scholars from various cultural or racial groups tend to publish in the ASR compared to the AER and APSR, those scholars tend to be based mostly in North America, especially the United States. Lyytinen et al (2007) and Rosenstreich and Wooliscroft (2006) have examined this fact of top ranked North American scho-larly journals publishing articles by scholars based in North America.…”

“…241-242;Eliason, 2008: p. 52;Kaba, 2011ac, 2012Keith and Babchuk, 1998;Lyytinen, 2007;Marwell, 2012: pp. 306-308;Oprisko, 2012;Rosenstreich and Wooliscroft, 2006;Sun, 1975;Weakliem et al, 2012: pp.314-320).…”

“…In fact, Kaba (2008b) points out that the United States is not only a country-continent, but also a country-planet, because it has almost every creature, including humans from all parts of the world, and also has every type of climate from any (Burris, 2004: pp. 241-242;Kaba, 2012;Lyytinen, 2007;Rosenstreich and Wooliscroft, 2006 For males, 50 (98.26% of all males, and 63.2% of total) were employed in the United States: 15 (29.4% of all males, and 18.9% of total) in 5 states in the West; 13 (25.46% of all males, and 16.4% of total) in 6 states in the South; 11 (21.6% of all males and 13.9% of total) each in 4 states in the Northeast; and in 8 states in the Midwest. For females, 27 (96.5% of all females, and 34.2% of total) are employed in the United States: 11 (39.3% of all females, and 13.9% of total) are employed in 6 states in the Midwest ; 9 (32.2% of all females, and 11.4% of total) are employed in 5 states in the Northeast; 5 (17.8% of all females, and 6.3% of total) in 2 states in the West; and 2 (7.2% of all females, and 2.53% of total) in 2 states in the South (Table 6).…”

“…54-55;Keith and Babchuk, 1998;Lyytinen et al, 2007;Oromaner, 1977Oromaner, , 1986Paxton and Bollen, 2003: pp. 73-74;Rosenstreich and Wooliscroft, 2006;Stephan, 2012).…”