Resource allocation is a fundamental element of strategic management – whether at the corporate level, business level, or functional level; whether in an established firm or a new firm; whether in the context of a defined competitive environment or an emerging one. Despite its importance, the topic is remarkably understudied. Even when it is examined, resource allocation is often in the background of studies on other strategy topics, or invoked in a general sense, but not the focus of articles. Treating resource allocation as a background feature both underplays its importance and impedes learning about this critical management function. Treating resource allocation in broad terms oversimplifies the specific choices facing managers.
The submission window was May 1, 2022 through June 30, 2022.
Guest Co-Editors:
Dan Lovallo, University of Sydney
Catherine Maritan, Syracuse University
Brian Wu, University of Michigan
SMJ Advising Editor:
Brian Silverman, University of Toronto
The resource-based view (RBV) has been one of the most successful home-grown streams of research in the field of strategic management. Since the initial pioneering research in the mid-1980s through the early 1990s, the study of resources—tangible and intangible assets as well as capabilities—has produced a large body of theoretical and empirical work. The scope of the research is deep and wide. It involves the resources and capabilities of organizations (and their subunits) and managers (and other key individuals). It involves knowledge and routines, as well as supporting features of organizations such as incentives and structure. A general resource-based theory (RBT), together with more specific theoretical analyses of value creation, value capture, competition, resource development, and other topics, has furthered the development of the resource-based view in important ways. Researchers have also conducted resource-based empirical analyses of diversification, vertical integration, mergers and acquisitions, alliances, market entry, innovation, knowledge, top management, strategic renewal, entrepreneurship, internationalization, and more. Today the world presents new and challenging strategic issues for organizations on which the resource-based view can shed light. In addition, advances in theoretical and empirical methods, and the availability of new data sources, have opened up new avenues for research. This is an opportune time to set the stage for the next 30 years of the RBV.
The submission window was August 31, 2019 through January 31, 2020.
Guest Co-Editors:
Jay Barney, University of Utah
Olivier Chatain, HEC-Paris
Constance Helfat, Dartmouth College
Aseem Kaul, University of Minnesota
David Ketchen, Auburn University
Harbir Singh, University of Pennsylvania
SMJ Advising Editor:
Sendil Ethiraj, London Business School
This special issue aims to bring the study of platform ecosystems into mainstream strategy research and foster a distinctive body of scholarship. The special issue provides a forum for state-of-the-art research on platforms, standards and innovation spanning different industry, country, and institutional settings. We encourage papers that deepen our understanding of platform strategies by drawing on multiple theoretical backgrounds and methods and by leveraging novel data sources. Below we provide an illustrative set of research themes and questions.
Submission deadline: February 28, 2018
Guest Editors:
Tobias Kretschmer Aija Leiponen Melissa Schilling Gurneeta Vasudeva
LMU Munich Cornell University New York University University of Minnesota
SMJ Advising Editor:
Sendil Ethiraj
London Business School
This special issue of the Strategic Management Journal seeks alternate approaches to the way that we approach empirical research. In particular, we seek innovations that focus on identifying and analyzing key questions about strategy and strategically relevant phenomena, as alternatives to developing specific hypotheses. Important and interesting strategy questions remain to be addressed that do not fit neatly with existing theories or prior understandings from traditional empirical research. It often makes sense to pursue these questions through systematic and thorough analysis of relevant data, and to provide plausible interpretations of the empirical findings so as to inform our knowledge of strategy issues.
Submission deadline: January 31, 2018
Guest Editors:
Melissa Graebner Anne Marie Knott Marvin Lieberman Will Mitchell
University of Texas Washington University University of California, University of Toronto
at Austin in St. Louis Los Angeles
SMJ Advising Editor:
Constance Helfat
Dartmouth College
This Special Issue will push forward research at the intersection between history and strategy, to further integrate these two disciplines. We welcome empirical papers that apply established and innovative research methodologies to strategy questions by using historical data and records. In particular, we encourage research that uses novel datasets that support tracing over time how organizations, groups and individuals—by acting in a particular historically embedded context, and by mutually interacting—built, implemented and modified strategies. We also call for theoretical modeling that builds on history and provides new insights into the historical implications of strategy.
Submission deadline: September 30, 2017
Guest Editors:
SMJ Advising Editors:
