International Journal of Management

The International Journal of Management (IJM) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of research integrity and publication ethics. The journal takes all allegations of research and publication misconduct seriously and investigates them thoroughly, fairly, confidentially, and without bias.

The journal follows the principles and flowcharts developed by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) when handling allegations of research misconduct. All investigations are conducted in accordance with internationally recognized ethical publishing standards to ensure fairness and transparency.

Authors are strongly encouraged to carefully read the journal's Author Guidelines, Publication Ethics Policy, and all related editorial policies before submitting a manuscript. By submitting a manuscript, authors confirm that they have complied with these policies and that their work meets the highest standards of academic integrity.

Forms of Research Misconduct

The journal considers the following, but not limited to, as research or publication misconduct:

• Plagiarism and self-plagiarism.
• Duplicate or redundant publication.
• Data fabrication or data falsification.
• Image manipulation or misleading presentation of data.
• Citation manipulation.
• Undisclosed conflicts of interest.
• Authorship disputes, including guest, gift, or ghost authorship.
• Ethical violations involving human participants or animals.
• Submission of false ethical approval documentation.
• Any other practice that compromises the integrity of the scholarly record.

Investigation Procedure

When an allegation of research misconduct is received before or after publication, the Editorial Office will conduct a preliminary assessment. Where necessary, authors may be requested to provide original data, ethical approval documents, plagiarism reports, or other supporting evidence.

The journal follows the COPE Flowcharts and guidance when investigating suspected misconduct to ensure that all parties are treated fairly and confidentially throughout the process.

Editorial Actions

Depending on the outcome of the investigation, the journal may take one or more of the following actions:

• Request clarification or additional documentation from the authors.
• Require correction or revision of the manuscript.
• Reject the manuscript.
• Suspend the editorial or peer review process.
• Publish a correction, expression of concern, or retraction.
• Notify the authors' affiliated institution(s), funding agency, or other relevant authorities where appropriate.
• Impose restrictions on future submissions in cases of serious or repeated misconduct.

Confidentiality

All allegations of research misconduct are handled confidentially. The identities of complainants, authors, reviewers, and editors are protected as far as reasonably possible during the investigation. Information is disclosed only to individuals directly involved in resolving the matter or where required by law.

Appeals

Authors may respond to allegations and provide evidence in support of their work. Appeals against editorial decisions related to research misconduct will be considered fairly by the Editor-in-Chief or an independent Editorial Board member in accordance with the journal's policies and COPE recommendations.

Commitment to Research Integrity

The International Journal of Management (IJM) is dedicated to safeguarding the integrity of the scholarly record by preventing, investigating, and addressing research misconduct in a transparent and responsible manner. The journal remains committed to following the COPE Core Practices and COPE Flowcharts when resolving ethical concerns and expects all authors, reviewers, and editors to uphold the highest standards of honesty, transparency, and professional conduct throughout the publication process.