Editorial

Citation

Reve, T. and Pundziene, A. (2006), "Editorial", Baltic Journal of Management, Vol. 1 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/bjm.2006.29501aaa.001

Editorial

Welcome to the inaugural issue of the Baltic Journal of Management.

The concept of the Baltic Journal of Management was developed by the Baltic Management Development Association (BMDA) as a result of the consolidation of its experience and perceived need to establish certain media for Baltic region Management research as well as consequently business community. What you can see today – it is a product of mutual cooperation between BMDA and Emerald as well as the BJM Editorial Advisory board and researchers that have contributed to the first issue of the Journal. Baltic Journal of Management has been born and developed in the Baltic region and in the culture that some of you know very well, while for others – as we have found from our experience – it is still to be learned and explored.

Dealing with international organizations, one from the “New EU member states” may be asked the question: “What can 'WE' offer to the states that were continuously and consecutively developing for last 50 years and by now have solid basis for competitive economy and mature society?”. There are multiple answers to this question that, actually, is a starting point for any successful cooperation and collaboration between “East and West”. However, to have more professional look on it we need to learn about each other better.

Baltic Journal of Management has an ambition to set a learning dialogue between two management research and development cultures coming from the west and the east, with the “Headquarters” in the Baltic States. The objectives of the Baltic Journal of Management are:

• •

  to actively encourage dialogue between west and east management researchers;

• •

  to support research from the Baltic region;

• •

  to highlight the best management practices and research of developed and rapidly growing countries; and

• •

  to contribute to the development of solutions for contemporary management challenges.

The added value that Baltic Journal of Management seeks to develop is paying attention to the regional particularities in searching for new management solutions. Lessons learned in stable as well as rapidly growing economies could help to discover new aspects in management as well as management development. The other aspect that is worth to mention is sharing the experience in research methodology and traditions that could be in particular important developing common European Research Area.

Maybe some of our colleagues would say that we “lost our way ... focusing on [management] 'scientific' research”, however, we see management research first of all as a tool to create knowledge needed to develop management practices on one hand and to enhance the quality of management academic community communication on the other. Probably only common sense could help us to keep ourselves on the way.

In recent years there has been a rapid growth in the economies of the Baltic countries. As a result, researchers have identified a need to take a more targeted and intensive management development focus and establish a virtual bridge between east and west management research schools. In so doing, the journal seeks to engender collaboration between different research cultures. The Baltic Journal of Management acts as a forum to encourage dialogue between east and west.

The Baltic Journal of Management particularly encourages academics, researchers and practitioners from the Baltic region (Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia as well as Poland, Russia and the other countries around the Baltic Sea) to share their experience, knowledge and practices with an international audience, however., papers from the other regions of Europe and the rest of the world that contribute to the highlighting of the new phenomenon deriving from the regional and cultural differences are very much welcome.

The journal encourages articles that focus on interdisciplinary, international and comparative standpoints on contemporary management issues.

Coverage includes, but is not restricted to:

• •

  Management decisions

• •

  Strategic management

• •

  Marketing

• •

  Human resource management

• •

  Decision-making and problem solving

• •

  Operations and quality management

• •

  Innovation and enterprise

• •

  Corporate social responsibility

• •

  Financial management

The first issue comprises of seven peer-reviewed papers and two book reviews. The authors of the papers represent all three Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania) as well as USA, Sweden and Finland. The topics revealed in the issue are exploring the problem of converging human resources, organizational culture and change, organizational growth, entrepreneurship and study on the national market. The papers are a mix of analytical and comparative research, conceptual study and case study.

The team of the journal is very much multicultural itself. The Editors' team is composed of five scientists from Norway, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The Editorial Team is very much grateful for the 16 members of the Editorial Advisory Board that gave a hand reviewing the papers and advising on the BJM development paths. As the Editors we would like to express the special gratitude to the Regional Editors Ruth Alas, Tatjana Volkova and Zigmas Lydeka and also to the Referees that contributed to the first issue of the BJM.

We hope that the Baltic Journal of Management will raise and maintain your interest. We would very much appreciate your feedback and expression of interests in certain topics. If you have an excellent idea for a paper or would like to guest edit a special edition of the journal – please contact the Editor, Asta Pundziene (astpun@ism.lt).

We are looking forward for your active contribution with the papers as well as with your feedback and ideas to the development of the Baltic Journal of Management.

Torger ReveEditor-in-Chief

Asta PundzieneEditor