A word from the editor

Citation

Susan Cartwright, D. (1999), "A word from the editor", Leadership & Organization Development Journal, Vol. 20 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/lodj.1999.02220aaa.001

A word from the editor

According to Harvey Robbins and Michael Finley in their award-winning book on leadership and teamworking:Leadership is the most used word in organisational literature. It bears the burden for so much of every organisation's hopes(Why Teams Don't Work, 1977).

One of the reasons the authors cite for leadership failure is a lack of willingness to acknowledge the contributions of others. Having just completed my first year as co-editor of Leadership & Organization Development Journal (LODJ), it would seem an appropriate opportunity, in this first issue for 1999, to thank all those who have helped and supported me in my new role.

A number of changes have taken place during the last 12 months. Some new members have joined the Editorial Advisory Board and some long-serving members have retired. We welcome the enthusiasm of these new members and at the same time, acknowledge and thank those who have retired from their past contributions. In September 1998, LODJ agreed to pilot PeerNet, a new electronic review system, devised by MCB University Press. The pilot will run for 12 months and will operate alongside the traditional reviewing process. The aim of the PeerNet initiative is to extend our pool of potential reviewers and to continue to develop and make best use of the available technologies. In our commitment to maintain and improve the quality of the review process, we will be closely monitoring this initiative and will be seeking opinions from both authors and reviewers. Because articles may now be distributed for review via email, we will require authors to submit a disk copy with their manuscript. In recognition of the valuable work conducted by our reviewers, we are also planning to introduce a Meritorious Reviewer Award.

During recent months, a considerable amount of media attention has focused on the personal life and moral values of political and business leaders. This has served to fuel debate on the issue of personal integrity and business ethics. Our plans for the next 12 months include a special issue of LODJ devoted to the subject of leadership and business ethics. We would welcome contributions on this field and will be issuing a formal Call for Papers in our next issue.

We are also currently considering nominations for Best Paper Award for 1998 and will be announcing the decision in the near future.

Our thanks for your continued support and have a good 1999.

Dr Susan CartwrightManchester School of ManagementUMIST, UK