Power, powerlessness, and journal ranking lists: The marginalization of fields of practice

Anderson, Valerie, Elliott, Carole and Callahan, Jamie (2021) Power, powerlessness, and journal ranking lists: The marginalization of fields of practice. Academy of Management Learning & Education, 20 (1). pp. 89-107. ISSN 1537-260X

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Official URL: https://doi.org/10.5465/amle.2019.0037

Abstract

This essay contributes a new perspective to debates about journal ranking lists and their effects on the practice of scholarship. Our argument is grounded in practice theory and draws on Bourdieu’s concept of field. We examine the effect of metrics, targets and rankings on Human Resource Development (HRD), a conjunctive field associated with the Management Learning and Education (MLE) field. We examine the ways in which the boundaries of the MLE field are shaped by journal ranking lists and how, irrespective of seniority in the field, scholars simultaneously experience both power and powerlessness as a result of journal ranking processes. We contribute a new perspective on issues of academic practice with consequences for specialized areas of scholarship. We conclude by proposing practical interventions that senior scholars and journal editors can undertake to challenge the undesirable effects of ranking systems and encourage scholarly diversity.

Item Type: Article
Subjects: N100 Business studies
N900 Others in Business and Administrative studies
P900 Others in Mass Communications and Documentation
Department: Faculties > Business and Law > Newcastle Business School
Depositing User: Elena Carlaw
Date Deposited: 03 Jan 2020 16:25
Last Modified: 31 Jul 2021 15:36
URI: http://nrl.northumbria.ac.uk/id/eprint/41817

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