Business and Society and Business Ethics Journals: A Citation and Impact Analysis

Abstract

Business & Society (B&S), Business Ethics Quarterly (BEQ), and the Journal of Business Ethics (JBE) are leading journals in the related fields of business ethics and business and society. Citations may be used as an indicator of relative influence. An analysis of their 2001 citations to one another and to the Academy of Management Journal and the Academy of Management Review is presented, showing that an argument could be made for ranking for any of the three journals first, depending on criteria used for judgement and the definition of the universe of those being influenced. The journal most widely recognized among management scholars in general is JBE; however, BEQ and B&S are favoured by experts in their respective sub-disciplines, with B&S citations indicating a closer relationship to the Academy of Management journals.