Editorial

Citation

Matlay, H.Z. (2015), "Editorial", Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, Vol. 22 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/JSBED-12-2014-0198

Editorial

Article Type: Editorial From: Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, Volume 22, Issue 1.

Writing an Editorial for the first issue of a new volume of the Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development (JSBED) has always been an occasion for reflection and an opportunity to set out future approaches and publishing strategies. Volume 22 marks the 15th year in my role as Editor of this journal and it symbolises a continuous record of growth, innovation and publishing success. I look back with satisfaction upon the distance travelled since 2001, when I first became the Editor of JSBED, a newly acquired Emerald Group Publishing journal, in its eighth year of publication. By that time, this journal, although relatively new, had already experienced a turbulent and uncertain existence. Tragically, its founding Editor died soon after JSBED commenced publication. A few years later, while the journal was still struggling to position itself amongst competing small business and entrepreneurship publications, its second Editor, together with the majority of the editorial and advisory board, resigned in protest to the change in ownership. In the event, however, the new owners provided this journal with long-term security and investment for growth and development, as well as a stable home amongst an expanding portfolio of small business and entrepreneurship-oriented journals.

Working closely with managing editors and publishers from Emerald Group Publishing Ltd, we have overcome rapidly increasing global competition, the emergence of new publishers in this area of academic growth and research funding challenges, to achieve a respectable and well-deserved position amongst the many journals that compete for premiership in the field of small business and entrepreneurship. We will continue to focus our future strategy on growth, pursuing a path of relentless improvement in both the quality and the focus of articles published in this journal. I have recently been asked to curate two virtual special issues for this year’s Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW 2014). It proved difficult to choose the best and most representative papers amongst so many high-quality articles published in the nine specialist Emerald journals that focus on various aspects of small business and entrepreneurship. The feedback from readers across the world has been overwhelmingly positive, as reflected in the many comments received and/or posted on several social media outlets.

Annually, we publish 40 articles in JSBED, aimed at an international readership of stakeholders, which includes academics, researchers, undergraduate and postgraduate students as well as practitioners, policy makers, professionals and business or community representatives. Contributing authors range from experienced individuals to newcomers to this topic. Subjects under scrutiny can vary considerably and cover well-established sub-topics of small business and entrepreneurship, as well as emerging and controversial aspects related to enterprise education, new venture creation, financing, etc. We welcome constructive feedback and aim to continuously improve and reposition the journal, in order to more closely align it with emergent and topical stakeholder interests.

In my editorial work, I have been greatly assisted and generously supported by numerous colleagues, collaborators, advisors, referees and members of the editorial board. Their commitment and hard work represents an important contribution to the quality, impact and empirical rigour of the journal, in general, and of the articles published in it, in particular. Many of the contributors to JSBED, both from the UK and from abroad, continue to submit high-quality articles as well as to provide refereeing support, helpful feedback and expert advice. I would like to take this opportunity to extend my gratitude to all those who have supported the journal during the previous 14 years. I also wish to thank those employees of Emerald Group Publishing who were directly or indirectly involved with JSBED, for their long-term assistance and support. The future looks exiting and, as the Editor of JSBED, I look forward to collaborate closely with both established and new colleagues, from across the Global Village.

Harry Z. Matlay