In Search of Eminence: A Personal Brand-Building Perspective on the Achievement of Scholarly Prominence in Marketing

Abstract

In marketing, as in many other academic disciplines, new scholars are often taught a simple formula for the achievement of professional success: the single-minded pursuit of “A”-level journal publications. Although the goal of producing high-quality research that is ultimately published in top level journals is certainly worthwhile, the attainment of true prominence or “eminence” in the discipline may draw on a more complex formula. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the most prolific scholars may not always be the most eminent. Taking a personal brand-building perspective, this study examines a wide range of factors that may influence the attainment of scholarly eminence in the marketing discipline. Using a sample of 297 marketing academicians, this study finds that although a raw volume of publications influences eminence, publishing top-tier publications is even more significant. Perhaps most interestingly, this work highlights several different professional paths that can lead to scholarly eminence, including a tradeoff between publishing sole-authored pieces and “A”-level volume, and the eminence-enhancing effects of various professional activities. These findings suggest that a single-minded model of the path to scholarly eminence is supported but not necessarily complete.