Editorial

2022: An editorial reflection

Karel J. Stanz

Copyright: © 2022. The Author Licensee: AOSIS.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

The publication of the 20th volume of the SA Journal of Human Resource Management (SAJHRM) marks an important milestone in the journal’s existence in the broader field of management sciences. Since its inception as an accredited scientific journal in 2003, following what Professor Gert Roodt and his colleagues at the Department of Human Resource Management (HRM) Rand Afrikaans University (RAU) described as ‘building on the brilliant initiative to establish the SAJHRM’, it continues to grow in status and reputation. It advanced quickly to be recognised as a cutting-edge journal, publishing the highest quality research within the southern African context before its orbit expanded to include African and developing world contexts. The SAJHRM serves as a leading catalyst for peer-reviewed research in HRM. It therefore explores aspects related and relevant to HRM in various organisational settings. It aims to emphasise and promote the theory and good practices of HRM within Africa’s vulnerable labour market groups, which have unique economic, cultural, political and social concerns.

The 20th volume lives up to the high standard of the volumes produced over two decades, thereby sustaining the impact of the journal in the field of HRM. It is evident from the 59 publications in Volume 20 of 2022 that the journal publishes a diversity of topics, reflecting the scope of the SAJHRM, and thus serves the scholarly community by providing a podium for the dissemination of vigorous and trustworthy HRM research.

The journal’s metrics and accreditation listing attest to the quality of the scholarly material it has provided within the scope and practice of the SAJHRM. This status and impact were confirmed in the academy (Academy of Science of South Africa [ASSAf]) peer-review report of South African journals in the Economics and Business Management group released in August 2021. Testimony to its maturity, status and growing impact was the recommendation by the panel that the journal increase its international standing and visibility.

It is evident from the 59 publications in Volume 20 of 2022 that the journal publishes a diversity of topics, reflecting the scope of the SAJHRM, and thus serves the scholarly community by providing a podium for the dissemination of vigorous and trustworthy HRM research.

AOSIS, the publisher of the SAJHRM, recognises the standards and code of practices of the Directory of Open Access Journals, iThenticate, Open Access Scholarly Publishers Association, CrossRef, Portico and the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). The peer-review and ethics practices applied by the SAJHRM are obtainable on the journal’s website.

The SAJHRM has significantly expanded its indexing in reputable national and international research repositories such as the DHET SA List, SciELO SA, EBSCO Host, GALE CENGAGE Learning, Google Scholar, ProQuest, Hinari and the Norwegian Register for Scientific Journals, Series and Publishers, Level 1. Its recent inclusion on SCOPUS and the Directory of Open Access Journals, Chartered Association of Business Schools Academic Journal Guide 2021, is a true reflection of its standing and proof that the journal is enhancing its international reputation. It also confirms the SAJHRM as an established, trustworthy and well-informed site for advanced scholarship on behaviour in the workplace. This outstanding achievement signifies the impact of the journal and its publications.

The published articles are increasingly being viewed as rigorous by academic scholars and as relevant by practitioner communities. Some figures, at the time of writing this editorial, support this view:

• The number of new submissions increased from 2016 (n = 96) to 2021 (n = 224).
• Desk pre-screening and post-reviews have become more rigorous, with an increase in the rejection rate: pre-screening (2016: n = 23; 2021: n = 114) and post-review (2016: n = 30; 2021: n = 50). The average desk rejection rate for the period 2016–2021 was 24%, and the average post-review rejection rate was 33%.
• The SAJHRM publication rate per annum over the last 2 years is a steady 55 articles.
• The crossref citations have increased from n = 111 (2016) to n = 478 (2021).

After 20 years of growth, the journal projects a dynamic and very positive trajectory. The continued dedication of previous and current editors, section editors, authors, AOSIS editorial assistants and peer reviewers has boosted the growth of the SAJHRM and the standing that it enjoys today.

I would like to thank the SAJHRM editorial team, accomplished AOSIS staff members, the section editorial board and the committed scholarly peer reviewers of manuscripts, and recognise their selfless dedication, time and energy. They were surely inspired by the authors who chose the SAJHRM as the preferred outlet for their valued research and who helped to build the standing of the journal. We should also recognise the scholarly and exacting HRM practitioner community. These efforts are reflected in each volume, especially the 2022 edition, which celebrates 20 years of the SAJHRM.