A Behavioral Theory of the Firm - Organization Science - Informs

Editorial Statement of Purpose
Organization Science publishes fundamental
research about organizations, including their
processes, structures, technologies, identities,
capabilities, forms, and performance. Research
from different disciplines, such as organizational
behavior and theory, strategic management,
psychology, sociology, economics, political
science, information systems, technology
management, communication, and cognitive
science, is represented in the journal. We
welcome research at different levels of analysis,
including the organization, the groups or units
that constitute organizations, and the networks
in which organizations are embedded. Diverse
methods and approaches are also welcome.
Creative insight often occurs at the boundaries
between traditional research approaches and
topic areas. The editors are especially interested
in manuscripts that break new ground rather
than ones that make incremental contributions.
In addition to the original research reports that
are the core of the journal, we occasionally
publish essays in our “Perspectives” section that
direct attention to an important new
organizational phenomenon or redirect a line of
research. We also publish essays in our
“Crossroads” section that capture a current
debate about organizations. More specifically,
Organization Science seeks to publish papers
that:
• start up or redirect a line of inquiry;
• draw on multiple disciplines;
• employ diverse methods, including
qualitative, field, survey, archival, laboratory,
and computational methods;
• focus on different kinds of organizations,
including firms, not-for-profit organizations,
and voluntary organizations;
• make a theoretical contribution;
• provide new empirical findings;
• achieve genuine integration of theory and
data;
• provide a theoretically driven review and
integration of an important research area;
• discuss findings in terms of improving
organizational performance.
In addition to publishing, Organization Science
seeks to recognize and develop scholars and
scholarship by providing high-quality and timely
feedback and engaging exemplary scholars in
the process of identifying and developing
innovative and excellent research.
Instructions for Authors
Submissions to Organization Science are
received at http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/
orgsci. Manuscripts submitted should have the
cover page excised from the electronic
document. Detailed instructions and software
requirements can be found at
http://orgsci.pubs.informs.org/.
Manuscript Format: Manuscripts must be
double-spaced, 11-point font, with 1-inch
margins all around, and be no more than 35
pages total. The cover page must include the
title of the manuscript. Page 1 of the manuscript
should include only the title and an abstract (250
words or fewer). The abstract should summarize
the paper, convey its broader implications, and
be devoid of mathematical symbols, acronyms,
citations, or technical jargon.
References cited in the text should be listed
alphabetically by author at the end of the
paper, beginning on a separate page headed
“References.” Refer to published Organization
Science articles for reference style.
Designate citations throughout the text by
the author’s surname and the year of the
reference, e.g., (Johnson 1993). Tables and
figures should be numbered consecutively and
should complement arguments presented in
the text. The position of tables and figures
should be cited in the text. Avoid references to
unpublished works. Endnotes and footnotes
should be avoided. If the note is necessary, it
should be indicated in the text.
Submission Policy: Certify that your
manuscript is original material, is not
copyrighted, has not been accepted for
publication, has not been published by any
refereed journal or book, and is not being
reviewed elsewhere simultaneously. (The paper
may be submitted to a conference at the same
time as it is being reviewed with Organization
Science.)
If the paper has been or will be published in a
nonrefereed publication, you must provide the
publication details to the Editor-in-Chief when
the manuscript is submitted to OS, so that the
suitability of the paper for Organization Science
can be assessed. OS requires that at least one
author of each accepted paper sign a copyright
transfer agreement form.
As a condition of final acceptance for
publication in Organization Science, the
author(s) must indicate if their paper is posted
on a working paper website, other than their
own. If so, authors are responsible for assuring
that, if any part of their paper has been
copyrighted for prepublication as a working
paper, the copyright can and will be transferred
to INFORMS when the paper has been accepted.
This includes both print and electronic forms of
the paper. On acceptance, the text, or any link to
the full text, must be removed from the working
paper site(s).
Authors must certify that their
papers adhere to the above policies on
submission via the online system at
http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/orgsci.
Review Process: Organization Science has a
decentralized editorial structure composed of
Senior Editors and the Editorial Review Board,
committed to working with authors to develop
interesting ideas into publishable papers.
Each Senior Editor has the autonomy to
accept or reject a paper for publication, or to
request that the author revise and resubmit the
paper.
Authors are invited to nominate up to three
reviewers (with suitable expertise and no conflict
of interest with the author or paper being
reviewed). Organization Science will make
every effort to select one author-nominated
reviewer.
Manuscripts are reviewed in a double-blind
process by at least two reviewers. The Senior
Editor integrates his or her comments with those
of the reviewers to arrive at a decision about the
suitability of the manuscript for publication in
Organization Science.
If a revision of a manuscript is invited, we
urge the authors to resubmit the manuscript
within three months and no later than one year
from the date a revision is requested.
Author Alterations: Author alterations are
limited to those that are absolutely necessary,
such as mistakes in equations, etc. The editorial
management of INFORMS reserves the right to
make only those changes that affect the accuracy
of the text.
Survey/Abstracting
Organization Science is surveyed by the Social
Sciences Citation Index, Current Contents/Social
and Behavioral Sciences, Research Alert,
Sociological Abstracts, PsychINFO, PsycLTT,
Psych Scan Psychological Abstracts,
Communication Abstracts, Human Resource
Abstracts, Educational Administration Abstracts,
Sage Publication Administration Abstracts,
Anbar Abstracts, and ABIINFORM.
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Subscription Service
Organization Science (ISSN 1047-7039) is a
bimonthly journal published in January,
March, May, July, September, and November
by the Institute for Operations Research and
the Management Sciences at 7240 Parkway
Drive, Suite 310, Hanover, Maryland 21076.
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Copyright 2007. ISSN 1047-7039.
Printed in the United States of America.