Most of us read one or perhaps two papers in a journal and move on to another publication following a line of inquiry or trail of thought. Occasionally, some may pause and wonder why the editor has selected papers and put them in the order they appear. As the new editor for Journal of Management and Organization (JMO), I thought it worthwhile sharing this process with you – as it is actually quite logical and can be more structured than I had thought!
This first issue of JMO for 2017 focusses on change. The seven papers we present offer perspectives which capture both the richness and the depth that characterise organisational change in the 21st century.
We begin with an invited paper from Virta who uses a case study from Finland to explore the role of integration of media clusters and value networks in the success of an organisation. It is an in-depth story which is complemented well by the approach of the second paper by Fang. This moves to a more theoretical perceptive which explores knowledge networks to relate them to innovation.
This latter term has become such a buzzword of the last few years that, for many, it has perhaps become passé? For this reason, the third paper in this issue moves us back up to a macro view where Dominguez provides us with an overview of the link between managerial and strategic change.
This ‘big picture’ perspective is an important anchor point for all the papers in this issue but is also one that is challenged in the paper by Rosenbaum. Here, the tension with notions of strategic change are nicely revealed and dealt with in an examination of the nonprofit sector. It is a reminder that the study of management must cover the spectrum of organisations and, as the paper by Lehmberg illustrates, all stages of the lifecycle as well.
The need to have an exit strategy is not an issue often dealt with in the change literature and it is a pleasure to be able to be able to showcase the range of themes we manage to in this issue of JMO. The need to continue to question conventional wisdom even in the more researched areas of change is posed in the paper by Laksham – who suggests that even the touted value of a proactive market orientation is not quite as straightforward as many assume.
The last paper in this issue adds a family touch to the views of change and innovation. It is a perspective which highlights the interconnection between management issues, drawing together as it does, areas often dealt with in discrete areas, be it family business, change, innovation, etc. It is a fitting paper to last paper for this first issue then as it encapsulates the richness and synthesis as well as the providing the clarity of management ideas that this journal thrives on.
This also segues nicely into a formal note of recognition and thanks for the work of our departing Editor-In-Chief, Professor Tim Bentley of Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand. Tim has worked tirelessly on establishing the background to bring us to this stage. He encouraged and supported his Associate Editors and provided us with both the freedom and inspiration to work with our submitting authors as co-collaborators. I hope to continue this with the JMO team and invite you, our reader, to actively share your thoughts, ideas and hopefully, your support the future of JMO.
