Dialogues in Critical Management Studies: Scopus, Scope, Series Guide & Submission Readiness
Dialogues in Critical Management Studies is best understood as an Emerald Publishing book series/serial in Critical Management Studies (CMS), not as a conventional research journal that accepts rolling article submissions through a journal manuscript portal. The distinction matters. A researcher considering this source should evaluate not only Scopus coverage and subject relevance, but also the series model: themed edited volumes, dialogic sections, extended contributions and critical or experimental forms of scholarly writing.
The supplied source record identifies Scopus Source ID 21100461340 and print ISSN 2046-6072. Institutional serial records also identify eISSN 2046-6080. Emerald’s current series page lists four volumes—The Third Sector, Getting Things Done, Feminists and Queer Theorists Debate the Future of Critical Management Studies, and Writing Differently—and describes the series as a forum for critical dialogue that can include contributions from PhD students, early-career researchers and established academics.
If your university or doctoral programme requires a current Scopus-listed output, verify the live Scopus source profile immediately before making a formal submission decision. Indexing status, metrics and category rankings can change, and a book-series contribution may be treated differently from a journal article by institutional rules.
Quick Answer: What Is Dialogues in Critical Management Studies?
It is an Emerald Publishing series focused on the field of Critical Management Studies. Emerald describes CMS as a broad family of challenges to mainstream management theory, especially work that questions domination, managerialism and the social or ecological sustainability of prevailing forms of management and organization.
Its publication format is distinctive. Rather than functioning as a regular journal issue sequence, the series publishes edited thematic volumes. Emerald says the volumes are designed around focused dialogue, commentary and extended contributions that may not fit a normal journal format. This makes the series particularly relevant to scholars developing theoretically ambitious, reflexive, interdisciplinary or writing-experimental work in management and organization studies.
For a prospective contributor, the first question is therefore not simply “Does my paper fit the journal?” but “Is there an approved volume, call for chapters or proposal route that fits my contribution?”
Key Takeaways
- Publisher: Emerald Publishing, Bingley, United Kingdom.
- Source type: book series/serial rather than a standard continuously issued journal.
- Scopus identity: supplied source record 21100461340; reconfirm current status in Scopus before relying on it for institutional requirements.
- ISSN: 2046-6072; institutional records list eISSN 2046-6080.
- Core scope: Critical Management Studies, including power, domination, alternatives, labour, postcolonial work, feminism, gender, sustainability, sociology, anthropology and cultural studies.
- Publication model: themed edited volumes with dialogic and sometimes experimental contributions.
- Submission route: Emerald’s book/series proposal process or a specific edited-volume call, not a verified journal-style online submission system.
- No verified acceptance rate or current open-source CiteScore/SJR/SNIP/quartile is stated in this guide. Verify live database values.
Journal Information at a Glance
| Field | Journal / Series Information |
|---|---|
| Full title | Dialogues in Critical Management Studies |
| Source type | Book series / serial |
| Scopus Source ID | 21100461340 (supplied source record; verify current profile) |
| ISSN | 2046-6072 |
| eISSN | 2046-6080 (institutional serial records) |
| Publisher | Emerald Publishing |
| Publisher location | Bingley, United Kingdom |
| Language | English in the verified volume records reviewed |
| Established | 2011, according to institutional serial records |
| Primary subject | Critical Management Studies; Business, Management and Accounting; Social Sciences |
| Publication pattern | Irregular edited volumes; not a verified fixed journal issue frequency |
| Scopus coverage/status | Scopus source record supplied; current status should be reconfirmed live |
| CiteScore / SJR / SNIP / quartile | Verify current value in Scopus; not independently confirmed from an authoritative open source during preparation |
| Journal Impact Factor | No verified JCR Journal Impact Factor found for this book series |
| Open access | Not a standard fully open-access journal model; optional Emerald book OA routes may apply by contract |
| APC / publication charge | No verified mandatory series-specific APC found; confirm proposal/contract and any OA funding arrangement |
| Official series page | Emerald series page |
| Scopus profile | Scopus Source ID 21100461340 |
Why the cautious wording? Journal metrics, indexing status and rankings are time-sensitive. The series format also means that journal-style fields such as issue frequency, article acceptance rate and standard APC are not necessarily applicable.
What This Page Covers
Publisher, ISSNs, source type and Scopus record.
What Critical Management Studies themes fit the series.
Edited volumes, dialogic sections and extended contributions.
Emerald book proposals and volume-specific chapter opportunities.
What Emerald officially states and what is not publicly stated.
How to assess fit and prepare a stronger proposal or chapter.
Methodology and Sources
This profile was prepared by triangulating the supplied source record with current authoritative publisher information. Priority was given to Emerald’s official series description, Emerald volume and chapter pages, Emerald’s book proposal guidance, book peer-review guidance, book author guidelines and research and publishing ethics policies.
Library and institutional records were used only to corroborate serial metadata such as eISSN and establishment date where the publisher page was less explicit. Metrics, editorial arrangements, fees and database coverage should be reconfirmed immediately before submission because they may change.
What Does the Series Aim to Do?
Emerald frames the series around the intellectual project of Critical Management Studies. The premise is that management should not be treated only as a set of neutral techniques for managerial success. CMS instead asks what forms of power, exclusion, inequality, ideology or ecological harm are produced by dominant forms of management and organization—and what alternatives might be possible.
The series description emphasises a pluralistic and inclusive movement drawing on varied critical traditions. It explicitly references labour process theory, postcolonial work, feminism and gender studies, sustainability, anthropology, sociology and cultural studies. The objective is constructive critical dialogue that broadens what can be discussed within business schools and management and organization studies.
This makes the series conceptually broad but intellectually demanding. A paper is unlikely to fit merely because it studies a workplace, manager or organization. The work needs a recognisably critical contribution: for example, interrogating taken-for-granted assumptions, exposing power relations, questioning dominant managerial rationalities, amplifying marginalised perspectives, or developing alternatives to established organizational practices.
Research Topics That May Fit
| Likely fit area | How a contribution could become series-aligned |
|---|---|
| Power and domination in organizations | Move beyond describing hierarchy to critically analyse how authority, discipline, ideology or institutional arrangements reproduce unequal relations. |
| Labour process and work | Interrogate control, resistance, precarity, worker voice, managerial surveillance, emotional labour or changing employment regimes. |
| Postcolonial and decolonial management | Question whose knowledge is treated as universal, how colonial histories shape management, and how alternative epistemologies reshape organization studies. |
| Feminism, gender and queer organization studies | Analyse gendered power, embodiment, sexuality, inclusion/exclusion, intersectionality and organizational norms from critical perspectives. |
| Sustainability and ecological critique | Critically examine whether mainstream management practices can address ecological limits, greenwashing, extractivism or alternative organizational forms. |
| Critical management education | Interrogate business-school curricula, managerial ideology, pedagogy, performativity and possibilities for transformative education. |
| Alternative organizations and social transformation | Explore co-operatives, movements, activist organizations, commons, community initiatives or other alternatives without assuming that scale or managerial efficiency is the only measure of success. |
| Writing and methodology | Use reflexive, embodied, poetic, ethnographic or other experimental forms where the method advances a critical theoretical purpose rather than functioning as novelty alone. |
These are practical interpretations of the verified series scope, not an exhaustive official topic list. A prospective contributor should compare the project with the theme of the specific edited volume and several chapters already published in the series.
What Has the Series Published?
Emerald’s current series page lists four volumes. The progression itself illustrates the breadth of CMS:
- The Third Sector — the first volume in the series, published from the series’ 2011 starting point.
- Getting Things Done (Volume 2, 2013) — examines the relationship between critique, performativity and transformative practice in CMS.
- Feminists and Queer Theorists Debate the Future of Critical Management Studies (Volume 3, 2017) — brings feminist, queer, postcolonial and anti-racist interventions into CMS debate.
- Writing Differently (Volume 4, 2020) — explores alternatives to conventional academic writing, including embodied, affective and reflexive modes of producing knowledge.
This publication history suggests a series interested in debates about what CMS is, what critique can do, whose voices are included, and how critical scholarship can be written. That is a more specific identity than a broad “management studies” label might imply.
Understanding Its Scopus Coverage and Metrics
The supplied input identifies Scopus Source ID 21100461340 for Dialogues in Critical Management Studies. Institutional records also list the series as covered by Scopus. For researchers, that may be relevant where a doctoral programme, promotion rule or research assessment recognises Scopus-indexed book-series outputs.
However, the institutional meaning of “Scopus publication” is not universal. Some universities count journal articles, conference proceedings and book chapters differently even when all are discoverable in Scopus. Before submitting, check your own rule wording: does it require a Scopus-indexed journal article, or does it accept a chapter in a Scopus-indexed book series?
Current CiteScore, SJR, SNIP and quartile values are not stated here as facts because an authoritative current value was not independently verified in an openly accessible source during preparation. Use the live Scopus source page for the applicable reporting year and category. Do not rely on scraped “impact factor” sites or rankings that fail to identify the metric provider and year.
Is It Q1, Q2, Q3 or Q4?
A quartile is meaningful only when tied to a specific database, year and subject category. Because a current official quartile was not verified for this guide, the safe answer is: check the latest Scopus source profile rather than treating an undated Q1/Q2/Q3/Q4 label as permanent.
If your institution requires a minimum quartile, save evidence showing the database, category and reporting year used for your decision. A third-party website may display an old or differently calculated quartile that does not match your university’s rule.
Who Should Consider Contributing?
The series may be a strong intellectual match for scholars already working within CMS and for researchers whose work crosses organization studies with sociology, gender studies, cultural studies, sustainability, political theory, labour studies or postcolonial/decolonial scholarship. Emerald’s series description specifically welcomes the possibility of contributions from PhD students and early-career researchers alongside established academics.
A contributor is more likely to fit when the work does at least three things: engages a focused critical question, contributes to an identifiable debate in CMS, and fits the theme and architecture of the proposed edited volume. Methodological originality can help, but it should serve the theoretical or political argument.
- The manuscript challenges a mainstream management assumption rather than simply testing it.
- Power, domination, inequality, voice, identity, ideology, sustainability or alternatives are analytically central.
- The work engages CMS or adjacent critical literatures directly.
- The chapter can enter a dialogue with other contributions in a themed volume.
- The writing format is justified by the research question and epistemology.
When Might a Manuscript Be a Poor Fit?
A technically competent management study may still be unsuitable if its main objective is improving managerial performance without a critical question. Likewise, a manuscript that uses “critical” merely to mean “important” or “analytical” may not align with Critical Management Studies as an intellectual tradition.
- Purely descriptive organizational case studies with no critical theoretical contribution.
- Conventional managerial optimization studies whose only outcome is efficiency, productivity or profitability.
- Generic leadership, HR or strategy studies that do not engage critical management scholarship.
- Work that is critical in tone but unsupported by evidence or serious theoretical argument.
- A standalone article submitted without regard to an edited-volume theme or proposal route.
The strongest fit test is to read the series description and several chapters from the most relevant existing volume, then write a one-paragraph explanation of how your contribution enters that conversation.
How Submission Works for This Series
Because Dialogues in Critical Management Studies is a book series, the safest verified route is Emerald’s book and series publishing process, not a generic journal submission portal. Emerald currently states that authors can submit proposals for single titles or edited collections, and proposals are handled through commissioning editors.
For an individual chapter author, the route may be different: you may respond to a call for chapters or be invited into an edited volume whose proposal has already been approved. In that situation, the volume editor should provide chapter length, abstract/keyword requirements, deadlines, referencing conventions and any internal review process.
Proposal-stage workflow
- Define the volume concept and explain why it belongs in the series.
- Identify the audience, competing/related books and the project’s distinctive contribution.
- Prepare the Emerald book or edited-collection proposal form.
- Send the proposal to the relevant commissioning editor.
- Respond to external peer-review comments and revise if requested.
- If approved, proceed to contract and manuscript development.
Emerald also states that it is not currently accepting unsolicited book manuscripts; the proposal stage therefore matters.
What Is Known About Peer Review?
Emerald’s official book guidance says that book proposals go through single-anonymous peer review: reviewers know the proposer’s identity, while proposers do not know the reviewer’s identity. Emerald says it aims to return proposal feedback within 4–6 weeks.
Reviewers are asked to consider originality, contribution to the field, coverage, strengths and weaknesses, structure and—in edited works—the coherence of the proposed coverage. Positive reviews still do not automatically guarantee publication; Emerald says the series editor or publisher must approve the proposal, and revision and resubmission may be requested.
No series-specific acceptance rate was found. No official average timeline from chapter submission to final publication was found. Those values should not be guessed from the number of published volumes.
Preparing the Manuscript After Proposal Approval
Emerald’s book author guidelines provide a detailed final-manuscript checklist. For edited collections and book series, contributors should follow the requirements supplied by the contracted volume editor and the publisher. Emerald’s current guidance includes title-page and contents material, individual chapter files, abstracts and keywords for edited-collection chapters, clearly labelled illustrations/tables, permissions documentation and other production forms.
As a practical publication-readiness step, build your chapter around the series theme rather than adapting a generic journal paper at the last minute. A strong CMS chapter often benefits from a clear critical problem, explicit theoretical positioning, reflexive treatment of method and a conclusion that explains what the critique enables readers to see or do differently.
- Can you state the critical management problem in two sentences?
- Does the literature review engage the CMS debate most relevant to the volume?
- Is the chapter’s contribution distinct from neighbouring chapters?
- Are claims supported by traceable evidence and accurate citations?
- Are positionality, ethics and reflexivity addressed where relevant?
- Does the method fit the epistemological claims being made?
- Are permissions cleared for third-party figures, extracts or identifiable participants?
- Have you followed the volume editor’s current chapter length, abstract, keyword and reference instructions?
Open Access, Fees and Publication Charges
Do not assume a conventional journal APC. Dialogues in Critical Management Studies is sold as a book series, and no mandatory series-specific article processing charge was verified in the authoritative sources reviewed.
Emerald does offer optional open-access book publishing routes, with book processing charges that vary by book format. Those general BPCs are not evidence that every contribution to this series must pay a fee. The relevant cost, if any, depends on the contracted volume, open-access choice, institutional agreements and funding arrangements. Authors should confirm this directly with the commissioning editor or volume editor before making financial commitments.
Publication Ethics and Responsible Use of AI
Emerald states that it follows COPE-aligned research and publishing ethics. Its policies cover originality, authorship, conflicts of interest, plagiarism, fabricated data, informed consent, permissions, simultaneous submission and responsible use of artificial intelligence.
One especially important current point is Emerald’s generative-AI policy: the publisher states that authors remain fully responsible for accuracy and integrity, that large language models cannot be authors, and that generative AI should not be used to copywrite parts of a submission. Researchers should read the live policy because AI rules are evolving quickly.
For Contentxprtz-supported work, the safe boundary is publication readiness: language editing, proofreading, reference consistency, structural feedback, formatting and clarity improvement that preserve the researcher’s intellectual ownership and comply with the publisher’s rules. Support should never fabricate data, references or authorship, and it cannot influence editorial decisions.
How to Decide Whether the Series Fits Your Research
Use a three-level test: series fit, volume fit and contribution fit. Passing only one level is not enough.
| Level | Question | Evidence to check |
|---|---|---|
| Series fit | Is the project genuinely part of Critical Management Studies? | Emerald series scope, CMS literature, existing volumes. |
| Volume fit | Does the contribution answer the specific thematic question of an approved or proposed volume? | Call for chapters, editor brief, proposal synopsis, neighbouring chapter themes. |
| Contribution fit | Does the chapter make an original, coherent and well-supported intervention? | Critical problem, theory, evidence, method, reflexivity and conclusion. |
If the project is strong at series level but weak at volume level, another CMS venue may be more appropriate. If it fits the volume but lacks a clear critical contribution, revise the intellectual framing before focusing on formatting.
How Contentxprtz Can Support Publication Readiness
Contentxprtz can help a researcher prepare a stronger and more consistent manuscript while keeping scholarly responsibility with the author. Relevant support may include academic editing, journal or book-chapter formatting, reference and citation checks, ESL language polishing, manuscript assessment, proposal clarity, cover-letter or editor communication support, and reviewer-response editing.
For this series specifically, useful support is likely to focus on whether the chapter’s argument is clear enough for a critical management audience, whether the manuscript follows the volume editor’s requirements, and whether references, quotations, permissions and declarations are handled consistently.
Preparing a critical management manuscript or edited-volume proposal?
Explore ethical manuscript editing, formatting and publication-readiness support. Contentxprtz does not guarantee acceptance or publication; editorial decisions remain with Emerald and the relevant editors.
Explore publication-readiness supportAuthoritative Links to Check Before Submission
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Dialogues in Critical Management Studies?
Dialogues in Critical Management Studies is an Emerald Publishing book series/serial devoted to critical management studies rather than a conventional continuously issued research journal. Emerald describes the series as a forum for edited volumes built around constructive critical dialogue, provocative new thinking and, where appropriate, experimental modes of academic writing.
Who publishes Dialogues in Critical Management Studies?
The series is published by Emerald Publishing in Bingley, United Kingdom. Older volumes may display the former corporate style Emerald Group Publishing Limited, while newer Emerald pages use Emerald Publishing Limited.
Is Dialogues in Critical Management Studies indexed in Scopus?
The supplied source record identifies Scopus Source ID 21100461340 for Dialogues in Critical Management Studies. The series also appears in institutional serial records as covered by Scopus. Because database coverage can change, researchers whose university requires current Scopus status should reconfirm the source profile immediately before relying on it for a formal publication requirement.
What are the ISSN and eISSN?
The print ISSN is 2046-6072. Library and institutional records identify the electronic ISSN as 2046-6080. Emerald volume pages consistently display series ISSN 2046-6072.
What topics does the series cover?
Its core field is Critical Management Studies, including critical approaches to management and organization, domination and alternatives, labour process perspectives, postcolonial work, feminism and gender studies, sustainability, anthropology, sociology and cultural studies. The defining feature is not a narrow method but a critical engagement with management, organization and business-school knowledge.
Does the series publish ordinary journal articles?
Not in the same way as a standard journal with rolling article submissions. Emerald presents Dialogues in Critical Management Studies as a series of edited volumes. Contributions generally sit within a commissioned or approved volume project, so authors should first establish whether there is a relevant volume, call for chapters, or book/series proposal route.
How do I submit work for this series?
There is no verified series-specific online journal submission portal in the sources reviewed. Emerald's current book process asks authors or editors to submit a book or edited-collection proposal to the relevant commissioning editor. For a chapter contribution, the practical route is usually through the editor of a specific approved volume or call for chapters.
What peer-review process applies?
Emerald states that book proposals go through single-anonymous peer review: the reviewer knows the proposer’s identity, while the proposer does not know the reviewer’s identity. Emerald currently says it aims to return proposal feedback within 4–6 weeks. That timing is for proposal review and should not be presented as a guaranteed chapter or publication timeline.
What is the acceptance rate?
No official acceptance rate for Dialogues in Critical Management Studies was found in the authoritative sources reviewed. It should not be estimated from publication counts or third-party sites.
What are the current CiteScore, SJR, SNIP and quartile?
The current values were not independently verifiable from an authoritative, openly accessible source during preparation of this guide. Metrics and quartiles can change by reporting year and category, so researchers should check the live Scopus source profile and their institution’s preferred database before making a decision based on rankings.
Does the series have a Journal Impact Factor?
A verified Journal Impact Factor for this book series was not found. Researchers should not confuse Scopus-based metrics or third-party rankings with a Clarivate Journal Impact Factor.
Is the series open access and is there an APC?
The series is sold as books/edited volumes, so a standard journal APC model is not the right default assumption. Emerald offers optional open-access book routes that may involve a book processing charge, but that general option should not be treated as a mandatory series-specific fee. Confirm the contract and funding route for the particular volume before committing.
Is it suitable for PhD or early-career researchers?
Potentially, yes. Emerald’s series description explicitly says the format can draw contributions from PhD students, early-career researchers and established academics. Suitability still depends on the thematic fit of the proposed volume or chapter, originality, critical contribution and the requirements of any specific call.
Can Contentxprtz guarantee acceptance in the series?
No. Contentxprtz can support ethical manuscript preparation, language clarity, structure, reference consistency, formatting and publication-readiness checks, but editorial and peer-review decisions remain entirely with the publisher and editors.
Conclusion: Treat It as a Critical Management Book-Series Opportunity, Not a Standard Journal Submission
Dialogues in Critical Management Studies is a distinctive Emerald series for scholars who want to engage critically with management, organization, power and alternatives. Its edited-volume format can support longer, dialogic and experimentally written contributions that might not fit a conventional journal article structure.
Before committing, verify current Scopus status, check how your institution treats book-series chapters, identify the correct volume or proposal pathway, and read Emerald’s latest author and ethics guidance. The strongest submission strategy is built on intellectual fit first and formatting second.
Contentxprtz can assist with ethical manuscript preparation and publication readiness where useful, but no editing or support service can guarantee acceptance, peer-review success or publication.
