Abstract
Focusing on the global diffusion of the “A” list consisting of predominantly U.S.-based journals, we argue that such diffusion represents an important form of professionalization in the management of business schools. The diffusion can also be viewed as an intellectual movement in the age of global competition characterized by a flat world. How can we explain the recent diffusion of the “A” list? More important, how does such diffusion impact the future of business and management scholarship? Addressing these important but underexplored questions, we identify the multilevel factors that explain the diffusion, and predict its likely trajectory and its impact on future scholarship.
Highlights
Increasing professionalization in the management of business schools has taken place recently
We suggest that the global diffusion of the “A” list represents the increasing professionalization in the management of business schools and represents the rise of an intellectual movement converging on a set of global standards of excellence
This article contributes to the literature by (1) arguing that the diffusion of the “A” list is an intellectual movement in a flat world, (2) identifying the multilevel factors that may explain the diffusion, and (3) predicting its likely trajectory and its impact on future business and management scholarship
Summary
Increasing professionalization in the management of business schools has taken place recently. One of the noticeable signs of such professionalization is the explicit adoption of an “A” journal list on which faculty members are expected to publish. What is interesting is the recent formal adoption of an “A” list by more schools around the world. Labeled as the “top tier,” the “mainstream,” and the “A” list, two sets of predominantly U.S.-based journals—compiled by the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) and Financial Times (FT)—have emerged. These journals attract attention from scholars, and from university administrators, funding agencies, and government ministries
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