IIMB Management Review: Scopus, Scope & Submission Guide

IIMB Management Review (IMR) is the quarterly flagship management journal of the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIMB). It publishes research intended for management researchers, academics and practitioners, with a clear preference for work that combines analytical rigour with useful managerial insight. The journal is indexed in Scopus, is distributed through Elsevier's ScienceDirect platform, and operates as a Gold Open Access journal.

For a researcher deciding whether to submit, the most important question is not simply whether IMR is indexed. A stronger decision combines scope fit, contribution to management literature, audience, manuscript type, peer-review expectations, open-access arrangements and the current requirements in the official author guide. This page brings those points together using current IIMB and Elsevier information available on 10 August 2026.

Key takeaways for researchers

• Publisher and institutional home: IIM Bangalore brings out the journal; Elsevier hosts/publishes it through ScienceDirect.
• Scopus: IMR is indexed in Scopus; the supplied Scopus Source ID is 19700175280.
• Identifiers: Print ISSN 0970-3896; online ISSN 2212-4446.
• Scope: management and core business functions, with strong interest in emerging-economy research and managerial implications.
• Article types: full-length research articles are central; focused discussions, interview papers and book reviews are also featured.
• Peer review: double anonymized, with initial editorial assessment followed by independent expert review for suitable papers.
• Open access: Gold Open Access; readers can access articles through ScienceDirect.
• Submission readiness: the manuscript must be rigorous, accessible and clearly show its contribution to existing management literature.

Journal information at a glance

Metric values, editorial teams, indexing status, APC arrangements and turnaround indicators can change. This guide therefore dates each sensitive value and links to official sources for reconfirmation.

How this guide was researched

The journal-specific facts in this page were checked primarily against IIM Bangalore's official IMR website, the current IIMB author-guideline pages, Elsevier's ScienceDirect journal page and Guide for Authors, and the journal's official Scopus identity supplied for this task. Where an official value could not be confirmed reliably—particularly a current SJR, SNIP or subject-specific quartile—this page does not substitute a third-party estimate.

IIMB Management Review aims and scope: where manuscripts fit

IMR's editorial position is broader than a narrow specialist journal but more specific than a general business magazine. The journal asks for manuscripts that engage with management practices, concepts and ideas while delivering novel managerial insights. Rigour matters: findings are expected to be supported by empirical evidence or by a well-justified theoretical model. Yet technical sophistication alone is not enough; the work also needs to be well communicated and to contribute to the existing management literature.

The journal's explicit interest in emerging economies is an important fit signal. A paper can be relevant because it investigates markets, organisations or managerial behaviour in an emerging-economy setting, or because it develops a model that takes distinctive institutional or market characteristics into account. This does not mean every manuscript must focus on India. It does mean that authors should be able to explain why the context generates knowledge or managerial insight beyond a purely local description.

Subjects and recent research themes

The formal scope covers all core business functions, policy and management pedagogy. Elsevier's subject labels include Business and International Management, Management of Technology and Innovation, and Strategy and Management. Recent 2025–2026 issues show how this broad management remit is applied in practice: published work has examined financial markets, stock forecasting, agricultural credit scoring using NLP and machine learning, emotional labour measurement in hospitality, green technology and exports, workplace spirituality, remote careers, ESG and cost of equity, banking penetration and sustainable assets.

These recent examples are useful because they show that IMR accepts diverse methods—econometric, behavioural, machine-learning, measurement-development and conceptual approaches—when the study is tied back to management questions. A researcher working in fintech, HR, sustainability, operations, strategy, organisational behaviour or management analytics may therefore find a route into the journal, but the manuscript still needs to make the managerial relevance explicit.

Article types and manuscript length

Full-length research articles are the journal's core content. The current Guide for Authors recommends a maximum length of 8,000 words inclusive of tables and figures. IIMB also identifies focused discussion papers, interview papers and book reviews as formats that appear in the journal. Authors should not assume that every non-research format is open for unsolicited submission at all times; the safest approach is to check the live submission system and current calls for papers.

Understanding Scopus coverage and journal metrics

IMR is officially identified as indexed in Scopus, with Source ID 19700175280. For PhD scholars or faculty members whose institutions specify Scopus-listed journals, this can be an important eligibility factor. However, an institution may also require a particular quartile, current year of coverage, subject category, or active status; those details should be checked in the live Scopus source profile rather than inferred from an old screenshot or third-party ranking site.

The IIMB homepage displayed a CiteScore of 3.0, a five-year Impact Factor of 1.9, an acceptance rate of 6% and a 179-day review timeline when this guide was updated. Elsevier pages can show different snapshots because reporting cycles and page refresh dates differ. Accordingly, use the latest database year when quoting a metric in a thesis proposal, promotion dossier or journal-comparison table.

Open access and publication fees

IIMB describes IMR as a Gold Open Access journal and states that its published articles are freely available to readers through ScienceDirect. The fee position requires slightly more care. ScienceDirect's journal insights have listed an APC of USD 1,200, while IIMB's own editorial communications have stated that the APC is borne by IIM Bangalore on behalf of authors. Those statements can coexist if an institutional sponsor covers a formally listed APC, but authors should confirm the current arrangement before submission rather than assuming they will either pay or publish free of charge.

What happens after you submit a manuscript?

The journal uses a double-anonymized review process. Submissions are first assessed for suitability. Papers that pass the initial screen are generally sent to at least two independent expert reviewers. The editor remains responsible for the final publication decision.

This structure makes the first editorial screen important. A manuscript can be methodologically sound but still fail early if its topic, contribution, article type or presentation does not fit IMR. Authors therefore benefit from making the journal fit visible in the title, abstract, introduction and discussion rather than expecting reviewers to infer it.

Current submission and formatting requirements

The Elsevier Guide for Authors currently directs submissions to the journal's Editorial Manager system. For double-anonymized review, authors should prepare a separate title page containing author names, affiliations, acknowledgements, declaration of interest information and the corresponding author's full contact details, while the main manuscript should remove identifying information.

Because final-manuscript and production instructions may differ from first-submission requirements, always use the live Elsevier Guide for Authors as the operational authority. Older IIMB repository style pages can be useful historical references but should not override the current submission guide.

Ethics, originality and responsible AI use

Elsevier's current guide requires authors to take responsibility for originality, copyright compliance and transparency. Manuscripts using non-public organisational information need appropriate permission. The guide also includes a declaration requirement for generative AI or AI-assisted technologies used in manuscript preparation: authors must review and verify AI output, retain responsibility for the final work, protect confidential or proprietary information, and disclose qualifying use in the manuscript. AI tools must not be listed as authors or co-authors.

For researchers, this means language polishing or technical assistance does not transfer responsibility away from the authors. Data, interpretation, citations, claims, disclosures and final submission choices remain the authors' responsibility. Any professional editing service should work within those boundaries.

Five journal-fit scenarios

Pre-submission checklist for IIMB Management Review

Is IIMB Management Review suitable for PhD researchers?

Potentially, yes—especially for doctoral work in management, business, economics-related managerial questions, technology and innovation, organisational behaviour, HR, finance, strategy, sustainability or policy. But suitability depends on the paper, not the author's degree status. A thesis chapter that is mostly descriptive, too broad, or still written like a dissertation may need substantial reframing before it functions as an IMR article.

PhD scholars should also check their university's exact publication rule. Some institutions accept any active Scopus-indexed journal; others specify quartiles, lists, years of coverage or subject categories. The journal's visibility is relevant, but institutional compliance and manuscript fit are separate questions.

How Contentxprtz can support publication readiness

Preparing for IMR involves more than grammar correction. The manuscript needs a clear management contribution, disciplined structure, accessible explanation of specialised methods, consistent British-English usage, accurate references, correctly prepared submission files and a strong statement of managerial implications.

Contentxprtz can support authors with manuscript assessment, academic editing, proofreading, ESL language polishing, journal formatting, reference and citation consistency, title and abstract refinement, cover-letter editing, submission-document review and reviewer-response editing. Support should strengthen how authors communicate their own research; it should not fabricate data, invent citations, conceal prohibited assistance or imply influence over editors.

Summary: IIMB Management Review

IIMB Management Review is a quarterly, peer-reviewed management journal of IIM Bangalore, published online through Elsevier and indexed in Scopus under Source ID 19700175280. Its strongest editorial signals are rigour, contribution to management literature, accessible presentation, managerial implications and a special interest in emerging-economy research. Full research articles up to 8,000 words form the core of the journal, and the review model is double anonymized.

As of this update, IIMB displays a CiteScore of 3.0, a five-year Impact Factor of 1.9, a 6% acceptance rate and a 179-day review timeline. The journal is Gold Open Access. Because metrics, fees and submission rules change, authors should reconfirm all decision-critical details on the official IIMB, Elsevier and Scopus pages immediately before submission.

Official sources and verification links

• IIMB Management Review official homepage — journal identity, current displayed metrics, publication frequency and Gold Open Access status.
• IIMB Guidelines for Authors — scope, article types and accessible-writing expectations.
• IIMB Management Review on ScienceDirect — Elsevier journal profile, issues, identifiers and publishing information.
• Elsevier Guide for Authors — submission system, peer review, anonymization, manuscript components, ethics and production guidance.
• Scopus source profile: 19700175280 — verify active coverage, current CiteScore, subject categories and quartiles.
• June 2026 Editor's Desk — current Editor-in-Chief, recent journal developments and Gold Open Access confirmation.

Dr. Aanya Mehta

Research Writer & Professional Business Communicator

Dr. Aanya Mehta is a research-oriented writer and professional communicator with a strong focus on accuracy, clarity, and evidence-based insight. Her work combines analytical thinking with accessible writing, helping readers understand complex business topics through well-researched, credible, and practical content.