Editorial Comment

Abstract

As the new editor of the Journal of Leadership Studies, I would like to begin by first introducing myself. I know that some of you know who I am because I have been around for a long time and, among other things, may have bumped into you at the National Academy of Management meetings or a regional get together. For those of you whom I have not personally met, perhaps you used some of my books in the classes you taught over the years. And if you were in college over the past two decades, you may have been assigned one my books by the instructor. In either event, I hope that you still have these books and have not succumbed to the desire to resell them. I am currently a Professor of Strategic Management in the Department of Management and International Business at Florida International University (FIU) in Miami. My primary areas of interest are strategy and international business, although I also teach the giant basic management course at the undergraduate level. Referring back to my books, I have written a host of different texts ranging from introduction to business to international management to strategy. And I believe that this wide continuum of interest will be extremely useful to me in helping expand some of the Journal's horizons and increase its appeal to a larger body of readers. My primary objective this year, however, is not so much to enter new areas as it is to continue the focus and direction that was set by Steve Williams, the Journal's first editor. And I'd like to express my thanks to Steve for the outstanding job he did over the Journal's first four years. Thanks to his efforts, the Journal is now one of the most respected publications in the leadership area and the number of submissions has steadily increased. This year I hope to maintain this momentum by introducing a number of changes that will complement Steve's efforts. One of the changes that I have made, in consultation with key Journal staff, is to review the Editorial Board and reconstitute some of the makeup. In particular, I have asked a host of people to join the Board. At this point, I'd like to introduce some of them to you and then continue this process in the upcoming issues of the Journal. The first six I'd like to tell you about are the following: * Rosabeth Moss Kanter of Harvard University. For almost two decades Rosabeth has been recognized as one of the leading writers and researchers in the field. Her recent book On The Frontiers Of Management (Harvard Business School Press, 1997) provides a wealth of useful insights for today's leaders. * Warren Bennis from the University of Southern California. Warren is one of the best-known researchers and writers in the area of leadership and his recently published Organizing Genius (Addison Wesley, 1997) shows that he remains at the top of his game. * Mary Ann von Glinow from Florida International University. Mary Ann is one of the most prolific writers in the management field. Her recent articles in such prestigious journals as the Academy of Management Journal and the Academy of Management Executive, as well as her research in Asia (particularly Vietnam) are cutting edge and her input will provide the Journal with keen insights for reviewing international leadership submissions. * Alan Rugman of Oxford University. A recent survey among international business researchers reported that Alan is considered the leading scholar in this arena. His recent appointment to the first Distinguished Chair at the newly-created Business School at Oxford attests to the significance of his work and promises to provide the Journal with greater international visibility and coverage. * Bernard Bass of the State University of New York, Binghamton. Bernie has been a household name in the field of leadership for almost five decades. …