AMR Submissions Should

• Advance theory or the theory development process in the area of management and organizations through developing new theories, significantly challenging current theory, synthesizing recent advances and ideas into current theory, initiating a search for new theory by pointing out and carefully delineating a novel type of problem, or crafting ways to improve the process of theory development
• Explicitly and persuasively present the research implications of their work

Review Essays: Book Reviews and Beyond

AMR also publishes review essays. These provide the opportunity for scholars and practitioners in our community to share how the arts (very broadly speaking) and wide varieties of scholarly literature inspire their scholarship as it relates to management theory, research, education or practice.

Submitting a Proposal for a Review Essay in AMR

Traditionally, authors submit a brief proposal summarizing the critical aspects of the review essay (please see the criteria listed below). Authors wishing to follow this process should send their proposal to Jean Bartunek ([email protected]), the AE in charge of review essays. If that proposal is approved, the authors will be invited to submit a full manuscript of their review essay. Alternatively, authors can now submit a full-length review essay without prior submission of a brief proposal. In this case, authors submit their full papers online via the AMR website. Kindly note that in both cases, submission of a full manuscript does not guarantee final acceptance of the review essay. Full manuscripts will always undergo a separate editorial review.

Review Essay proposals, or cover letters accompanying full-length initial submissions, must address each of the following questions:

1. What is the primary intellectual theme you wish to explore? Why is this theme important for AMR in particular?
2. What work are you reviewing (e.g. particular books, films, your own or other artwork, media)? What is the significance of these materials?
3. How does what you are reviewing illuminate your primary intellectual theme?
4. What will be the important implications of your review essay for management theory, research, practice, or education?
5. What would your review essay address that may not be addressed in a standard AMR paper?

It will be helpful if you reference previous review essays (since 2013) or in some other way make evident that you are familiar with the types of work currently published in this section of AMR.

Proposals for review essays should be no longer than five single-spaced pages (including references). Review Essays should be no longer than 30 pages inclusive of references, figures, and other materials. Kindly follow the submission instructions at manuscript central for sending in a full-length review essay.

Proposals will be assessed by the associate editor of this section of AMR (based on the criteria listed above).

Full manuscripts will undergo editorial review.

Dialogue

Dialogue is a forum for readers who wish to briefly comment on material recently published in AMR. Authors who wish to submit material for publication in the Dialogue section should address only AMR articles, review essays, or dialogues. Dialogues are not just opinions or editorials; they need to make a substantive contribution in moving the field forward. Dialogues should do more than just identify assumptions or shortcomings in an article; they should take the next step in offering constructive ways to address the limitations. They also need to be constructive in tone and written in ways that are accessible to the average AMR reader.

Dialogue comments must be timely, typically submitted within three months of the online publication date of the material on which the Dialogue author is commenting. This three-month deadline will also be the date when any Dialogue submission(s) related to a particular article will be evaluated. When the Dialogue comments pertain to an article, or review essay, the author(s) of the initial publication will be asked to comment as well. Dialogue submissions should not exceed five double-spaced manuscript pages, including references. Please refer to the AMR Style Guide for Authors for margins, font sizes, references and formatting. Please note that an abstract should not be included in the submission. The editor or an associate editor will make publishing decisions regarding all dialogue submissions, typically without outside review.

Please note that we receive many more dialogue submissions than can be accepted for publication. As a result, many fine submissions may not be published because of a desire to publish commentary on a variety of different topical areas represented by the articles published in AMR.

Submission Requirements

When authors submit their manuscript to AMR for publication consideration, they agree to abide by AMR's publication requirements. Specifically, an author must:

• Agree that the manuscript is not under review for publication elsewhere and will not be submitted to another publication entity during the review period at AMR;
• Confirm that the manuscript has not previously been submitted to AMR for review (submission of a manuscript previously published in the Academy of Management Annual Meeting Proceedings is acceptable; similarly, prior presentation at a conference or concurrent consideration for presentation at a conference does not disqualify a manuscript from submission to AMR); and
• Agree that working papers, prior drafts, and/or final versions of submitted manuscripts that are posted on a website (e.g., personal, departmental, university, or working series site) will be taken down during the review process.

Submission of a manuscript to the AMR also carries an implicit quid pro quo: willingness to review for AMR. The cornerstone of the editorial process at AMR is the willingness of colleagues to provide each other feedback through peer review. Authors who submit manuscripts to AMR for review are expected to reciprocate by reviewing for AMR if called upon to do so.

Any article, review essay or dialogue submission to AMR should be prepared according to the AMR Style Guide for Authors, but authors should omit the title page for the purpose of uploading onto the web-based submission system. This file for articles must contain a detailed 200-word abstract and must start on page 1 (except for dialogue submissions, as they do not include abstracts) and all end materials such as appendices, references, tables, and figures. The submission must be typed using a twelve-point Times New Roman font, with margins of at least one-inch. As a general guide, your paper should be about 25–30 double-spaced pages, excluding references, tables, and figures.

To submit a manuscript, first ensure that you have a Word file from which the title page and that all author-identifying references have been removed. Then go to the Website at Manuscript Central and follow the directions. Acknowledgments of others' help in preparing the paper for submission should be included in the letter to the editor that is featured as part of the web-based submission process.

Submission Process

Please address all new AMR submissions to the editor, Sherry Thatcher at Manuscript Central.  Follow the instructions for the web-based submission system, making sure you have a manuscript Word file that has no title page or other identifying information on it.

If you need assistance uploading your paper or proposal, please contact the ScholarOne helpline on weekdays (Monday - Friday) between 00:00 - 20:30 ET (GMT-5) at +1-434-964-4100 or 1-888-503-1050 (US). You may also email them to [email protected] or visit their "get help now" website at: GET HELP NOW!

Proposal Guidelines

Please review our Style Guide for manuscript requirements prior to submitting.

Ethics

View AOM’s Ethics policy page, which includes our Code of Ethics and detailed procedures and inquiry requests.

Theory Building Resources

We often get requests for information, articles and resources on theory building. We hope you find the following useful.

• Syllabi for Theory–Building Doctoral Courses
  Professor Mason A. Carpenter - University of Wisconsin, Madison
• AMR Reviewers and Editors Advice On Clear Writing
  Professor Belle Rose Ragins - Associate Editor, Academy of Management Review
• AMR Reviewers and Editors Advice On Clear Writing
  Additional Commentary: AMR Reviewers and Editors Advice On Clear Writing
• AMR Writing Theoretical Papers: A Workshop from the Editors
• From the Editor Essay on Teaching Theory
• From the Editors—The Nuts and Bolts of Writing a Theory Paper: A Practical Guide to Getting Started

References on theory-building and theoretical contributions:

• Ingrid Smithey Fulmer 2012  Editor's Comments: The Craft of Writing Theory Articles-Variety and Similarity in AMR
  Academy of Management Review 37(3): 327-331Bartunek, J. M., Rynes, S. L., & Ireland, R. D. 2006.  What makes management research interesting and why does it matter? Academy of Management Journal, 49(1): 9-15.
• Ragins, B. R. 2012 Editor's Comments: Reflections on the Craft of Clear Writing Academy of Management Review 37(4): 493-501
• Corley, K. & Gioia, D. 2011.  Building theory about theory building: What constitutes a theoretical contribution?  Academy of Management Review, 36 (1): 12-32.
• Suddaby, R. 2010.   Editor's Comments: Construct clarity in theories of management and organization. Academy of Management Review, 35 (3) 346-358.
• Rindova, V. P. 2008.  Publishing theory when you are new to the game. Academy of Management Review, 33(2): 300-303.
• K. G. Smith, & M. A. Hitt (Eds.). 2007.  Great Minds in Management: The Process of Theory Development: 1-6. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Kilduff, M. 2006. Editor's comments: Publishing theory.  Academy of Management Review, 31(2):252-255.
• Hitt, M. A., & Smith, K. G. 2005.  Introduction: The process of developing management theory.
• Bergh, D. 2003.  From the Editors: Thinking strategically about contribution. Academy of Management Journal, 46(2): 135-136
• Rynes, S. 2002.  Editor Comments: Some reflections on contribution. Academy of Management Journal, 45(2): 311-313.
• Huff, A. S. 1999.  Writing for Scholarly Publication. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
  
• Weick, Karl. 1995. What theory is Not, Theorizing is, Administrative Science Quarterly, 40: 385-390.
• Hambrick, D. C. 1994. 1993 Presidential Address:  What if the Academy actually mattered? Academy of Management Review, 19(1): 11-16.
• Gioia, D. A., & Pitre, E. 1990.  Multiparadigm perspectives on theory building. Academy of Management Review, 15: 584-602.
• Van de Ven, A. H. 1989.  Nothing is quite so practical as a good theory. Academy of Management Review, 14(4): 486-489.
  
• Whetten, D. A. 1989.  What constitutes a theoretical contribution? Academy of Management Review, 14: 490-495.
• Davis, Murray S. 1971.  That's interesting! Philosophy and Social Science, 1 (4): 309-344.

Directions for Users with an Account

Go to the Manuscript Central Website at  https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/AMR and log in. At the Welcome Page, go to Author Center. On the right-hand side of the page, you will see Author Resources. Click below to submit a new document.

This is a six-step process.

1. Type, title & abstract
   • Document Type: From the drop-down menu, select type of document.
   • Insert title.
   • Insert abstract (if you are submitting a proposal, insert a brief description about your proposal). 
2. Attributes
   • Keyword: We require that you submit three keywords for each document you are submitting. From the drop-down menu of keywords, select a keyword, then click Add.
3. Authors & institutions
   • This page allows you to add additional authors.
4. Details & comments
   • Answer all questions on this page. Please note that you should include any acknowledgements in the Cover Letter section. All author identifiers must be removed from your work prior to submission. Refer to submission requirements for details.
5. File upload
   • Please note that File Designation is a drop down list and refers to the type of document that the author is uploading: cover letter, main document, supplementary file for review (which can be viewed by editors and reviewers), or supplementary file not for review (for the editor's eyes only).
6. Review & submit
   • This page allows you to review your entire application and make any necessary changes before submitting.

If you need assistance uploading your paper, please contact the ScholarOne helpline on weekdays (Monday - Friday)between 2400 - 2030 EST (UTC - 5) at 1-434-964-4100 or 1-888-503-1050 (US). You may also email them at:  [email protected] or visit their website.