Editorial

Citation

McHugh, M. (2004), "Editorial", Leadership & Organization Development Journal, Vol. 25 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/lodj.2004.02225caa.001

Editorial

It is a privilege for me to assume the role of Editor of The Leadership & Organization Development Journal (LODJ), in this, its 25th year of publication. Over the last 25 years, LODJ has undergone a number of significant changes and in the course of its development, has established itself as an authoritative publication for all of those concerned with the issues of leadership and organisation development. The growth in popularity of the Journal and the esteem in which it is held by its diverse readership, which includes academics, practitioners and students, is attributable in no small way to the expertise and effort invested in LODJ by my predecessors, by the Editorial Advisory Board (EAB), and by the editorial team at Emerald. In particular, my Editorial predecessors professors Susan Cartwright and Tony Berry have been instrumental in enhancing the academic quality of LODJ. This is reflected in the subtle, but noticeable, change in the rigour of papers which have appeared over recent years, the composition of the EAB, and the operation and management of the review process. This change has been rewarded by increased and very wide circulation of the Journal, and acceptance of LODJ as a journal of significance in its field.

At this time, more than ever before, the issues of “leadership” and “organisation development” are of critical importance in a world of business characterised by turbulent and often hostile operating environments, rapid technological change, major legislative developments, globalisation and the blurring of organisational boundaries. Thus it is essential that the academic and business communities have access to the most advanced thinking, theoretical developments, and recommendations for management practice in leadership and organisation development. It is with this in mind that, as Editor, I hope to build on the achievements of previous editors in enhancing further the reputation of LODJ. In particular, I aim to attract new and important contributions that transcend the boundaries of single disciplines. The complexity of organisational life in the twenty-first century is such that leadership and organisational development strike at the heart of organisational functioning and impact on a very diverse range of issues. Thus it is likely in such circumstances that papers which have leadership and organisation development as their core, will address a number of topics which acknowledge the complex web of interrelationships that reflect the reality of organisational life.

As Editor of LODJ I will seek to raise further its profile, particularly within an international context. It is acknowledged that the Journal already has an excellent reputation and a very wide readership. It is my opinion that the Journal should retain its appeal to its current wide target audience, while simultaneously enhancing the academic content and rigour of published papers. With regard to the latter, what is intended here is that, in the first instance, LODJ will seek to publish innovative research that investigates searching and important research questions. As part of this there will be increased emphasis on the quality of the arguments being presented, ensuring that those arguments are rooted within appropriate literatures. It is expected that papers will include methodological sophistication, demonstrating the use of appropriate data collection tools and techniques. Analyses of data should be thorough and should provide the basis for a discussion of findings which forms the foundation for charting meaningful conclusions which contribute in a positive way to academic debate and management practice.

Due to the fact that not all papers relate to the presentation of primary empirical work, it is acknowledged that the above points do not apply universally to all papers. However, they are intended to provide an indication of the general approach which I propose to take in enhancing the academic aspects of articles published in LODJ.

To enhance further the international reputation of the Journal, I hope to increase the membership of the EAB. The EAB already includes leading international figures in the leadership and organisation development fields. Bearing in mind the editorial mission and scope of the Journal, a number of additional internationally recognised colleagues are likely to make a positive contribution to the development of the Journal. It is hoped that they will join the EAB and will become actively involved in advancing LODJ as a leading journal in its field.

Technological developments have had a major impact on the way in which journals are produced and circulated. This is particularly true in the case of LODJ where the primary method of dissemination is via electronic means. As Editor I hope to widen further the circulation of the Journal; this is likely to depend on the effective exploitation of technology. Thus, over the coming period I hope to work closely with the Managing Editor of LODJ and IT experts within Emerald to identify and exploit technology based opportunities for enhanced dissemination of the Journal’s content.

In an era where technology acts to quicken the pace with which the world operates, I hope to work with Emerald in developing a technology driven system which facilitates rapid processing of manuscripts. Emerald is currently piloting such a system to support editors and authors and it is hoped that, in the not too distant future, this system will have much to benefit LODJ. To complement these technology driven developments, as part of my own efforts to develop an effective administrative system to support the Journal, I hope to establish over the next year, a small editorial team at my own institution, the University of Ulster. It is intended that this will contribute to effective journal administration.

The process of changing editors inevitably entails a period of transition, the effective management of which requires much care and attention to detail. In this respect I am deeply grateful to Tony Berry, Susan Cartwright and the Managing Editor of LODJ, Paula Fernandez. All have played a unique and vital role in providing much needed support for the new fledgling Editor. Their superb support has, in the first instance, led to a seamless transition. I am also deeply grateful to the wide range of colleagues who have acted as reviewers for papers. Without their commitment, professional approach and co-operation it would not be possible to produce a quality academic publication.

This issue of LODJ contains four thought provoking papers which are reflective of the fact that leadership and organisation development are multi-faceted and impact on a wide range of issues in a highly complex and rapidly changing world. Set within a university context, María Lorena Hernández Yáñez considers the concept of an academic leadership group programme and its implications for organisation development. Kenneth Brain and Dianne Lewis focus on the leadership preferences of multicultural groups within the public sector in Australia. The penultimate paper in this issue by John Cullen concentrates on the messages conveyed by advertisements for senior management positions in the Irish context. Finally, managerial learning in small firm networks is the focus of the fourth paper by Henrik Florén and Joakim Tell which completes this issue.

I hope that you will find this issue of LODJ stimulating. In the forthcoming issues I look forward to updating you on Journal developments and to presenting a series of quality papers which inform thinking and advance the debate on leadership and organisation development.

Marie McHughUniversity of Ulster