"Do Experts Make up JIBS and SMJ Editorial Review Boards? A Reserch Note"

Instructors teaching in the area of international business often find the nexus of international business and strategy important primary disciplines in which to build competency not only in the teaching endeavor, but also in the research enterprise. As research generates the foundational knowledge for teaching, we offer insights into the “expertness” of the gatekeepers who recommend or deny access to the two premier research journals in international business (Journal of International Business Studies) and strategy (Strategic Management Journal). Expertise—as manifested by the scientific output—of the editorial board members has surfaced more recently in the literature. As a proxy for expertise, we employ the original Hirsch-Index (Hirsch, 2005). Our data set of 335 board members, constructed from the ISI Web of Knowledge, suggest that the SMJ board has more proficiency than the board of JIBS. However, in both cases a considerable proportion of editorial review board members have not published in the journal in which they play the vital role of peer reviewer and gatekeeper.