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The purpose of this paper is to compare the performance of the supply chain management and logistics (SCML) strategy journals recently added to the Web of Science database to the performance of journals from other business disciplines also recently admitted to the Web of Science database on the Thomson Reuters selection process criteria.

A benchmarking approach is used to examine the relative performance of SCML journals over a two‐year period.

The two sets of journals' publishing standards and the number of citations for authors from the two groups are quite similar. Journals in the benchmark group had greater international diversity and balance among their authors, editors and editorial boards, while the SCML journals were cited more often in Web of Science and had lower self‐citation rates.

This study required a great deal of counting, and some of the data were collected multiple times to check for accuracy. Still, it is possible that mistakes were made. Data from different years and different authors may have yielded different results.

The recent addition of six journals to the Web of Science database allows leading SCML journals to compete on a level playing field with other top‐tier business journals and can therefore be regarded as a major step forward in the maturation of the discipline, as well as recognition of the quality of the journals.

The authors' benchmarking study extends previous examinations of SCML journals relative to leading journals in other business fields, and offers direction for how SCML researchers and journal editors can continue to contribute to the maturation of the discipline.

The purpose of this paper is to introduce and develop the methodology of journal benchmarking.

The journal benchmarking method is understood to be an analytic procedure of continuous monitoring and comparing of the advance of specific journal(s) against that of competing journals in the same subject area, together with the application of best practices defined in order to improve a journal's own advance and gain a position among leading scientific journals.

As a realization of this method, it is suggested to build up a journal scoreboard, which is a matrix of journal indicators, distributed for different journals. For the journal scoreboard on the subject of lasers and optics (36 journals, five indicators) a series of regression equations was built up that allow forecasts to be made for journals’ impact factor levels, depending on the International Collaboration and Reference per Document indicators included in the SCIMAGO database.

The detailed journal scoreboard and prediction calculations allow elaborating strategies and policies for the promotion of journals in the Web of Science and Scopus databases.

The research presents the building up of a journal scoreboard in combination with prediction calculations that can be helpful for improving journal positioning in international Scientometric databases.

The purpose of this paper is to make a contribution to the benchmarking literature by examining the historical emergence and evolution of benchmarking using the management fashion perspective as a theoretical lens.

The research approach followed in this paper can be characterized as explorative and theoretical. Insights from different data sources have been combined to provide a rich description of the emergence and evolution of benchmarking.

This analysis casts new light on several aspects of benchmarking’s emergence and evolution pattern. The characteristics of the benchmarking idea give it potential as a fashionable management tool. The widespread popularity and longevity of benchmarking can to a large extent be explained by the efforts of various actors to turn benchmarking into an institution.

The paper is explorative and is limited by a reliance on secondary sources.

Although some researchers have noted that benchmarking could be viewed as a management fashion, management fashion theory has, only to a very limited extent, been used as a theoretical lens in the context of benchmarking. This research paper demonstrates that management fashion theory can provide valuable insights for research on benchmarking.

This editorial aims to consider contemporary issues for accounting scholars, in particular journals rating and benchmarking, arguing that current international trends are risking academic research quality.

This paper takes the form of an editorial review and argument.

The paper acknowledges that accounting academic research is important to the higher education system, careers and publishers. However, its quality and the construction and measurement of the quality of accounting journals and research impact on society continue to be hotly debated.

The editorial offers scope for accounting academics to engage in debate about the impact of journal rankings and benchmarking on their teaching and research, important issues in higher education, not only in Australia, but also internationally.

The paper provides commentary on the “quality” of accounting research and measurement practices associated with rating and benchmarking academic journals.

The intention of this study is to investigate the state of benchmarking in a variety of organizations in Egypt. More specifically, the study aims to understand the state of benchmarking in Egyptian organizations as well as the driving forces, benefits behind undertaking benchmarking and the reasons for not benchmarking in non‐benchmarking organizations. Also investigates the most important influential factors for effective benchmarking.

The present study is based upon the results of an empirical research in which the state of benchmarking in Egyptian organizations is studied. Mail surveys carried out on 500 organizations and 45 percent responded.

Results indicated that the most important reasons for initiating benchmarking are to maintain and increase competitive advantage, increased profitability and achieve continuous improvement. Moreover, the most important benefits derived from benchmarking include improved customer satisfaction and improved response time. Further, top management commitment was found to be an important influential factor for effective benchmarking.

Egyptian managers should be aware of the importance of top management commitment, employee involvement and participation and effective communication for effective benchmarking implementation. Also, benchmarking should be made consistent with organization's strategic direction and the provision of the appropriate resources.

It adds to the body of knowledge in the field of benchmarking in developing countries, with a particular focus on Egypt.

Given the emphasis in today's environment on customer focus, stakeholders’ interests, public‐sector organisational performance and other methods of assessment are employed to address issues in the new public management and prevailing managerialism in measurement of public‐sector organisations around the world. Therefore, many public‐sector organisations have been encouraged to implement benchmarking as one way of satisfying the government's requirement that public organisations provide best‐value services. In order to achieve best‐value services in public‐sector organisations, benchmarking is considered to be a vital management tool and benchmarking has been used widely in private‐sector organisations. This paper focuses on providing a critical view of benchmarking to provide best‐value services to taxpayers and local businesses. The paper emphasises that, in order for benchmarking to be successful in public‐sector organisations, it is important to have a full commitment to continuous improvement, an ability to learn from others, and a commitment to implement improvement.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate a benchmarking project carried out by the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) as part of a structured benchmarking initiative. The project was based on the TRADE benchmarking methodology and this paper examines the tools, activities and outcomes that relate to each stage of the adopted methodology.

This study is based on case study methodology. Data were collected from various sources including analysis of project reports written by DEWA’s benchmarking team reporting on their activities during the project. Data were also collected from four project presentations given at different stages of the project. In addition, the research team held three meetings with the DEWA benchmarking team at different stages of the benchmarking project.

The results show the key challenges and successes faced during each stage of the benchmarking project. It indicates the actions taken to overcome the challenges and the role played by internal and external stakeholders in facilitating the success of the benchmarking project.

The study presents information that would guide organisations that wish to carry out a benchmarking project – and particularly those implementing benchmarking for the first time. The study provides a summary of the key lessons learnt by DEWA’s benchmarking team as a guide for other organisations.

Academic research has not adequately examined and analysed the stage-by-stage elements of a benchmarking project from the perspective of the implementing organisation. This study addresses this gap by detailing and analysing the experiences of a benchmarking project by tracking the stage-by-stage activities of the benchmarking team.

Attaining high response rates in survey‐based supply chain management (SCM) research is becoming increasingly difficult, but small samples can limit the reliability and validity of empirical research findings. The purpose of this article is to analyze the status quo and provide a discussion of methodological issues related to the use of small samples in SCM research.

An in‐depth review of 75 small sample survey studies published between 1998 and 2007 in three journals in the field that frequently publish survey‐based research papers (TJ, IJPDLM, and JBL) was conducted, and key characteristics of these studies were compared with the characteristics from 44 small sample survey studies published in leading operations management (JOM) and management (AMJ) journals.

The review of papers published in TJ, IJPDLM, and JBL shows that small samples are frequently used in SCM research. This study provides an overview of current practices, opportunities for improvement, and a number of specific recommendations that may help increase the analytical rigor of (future) survey‐based studies that rely on small samples.

The recommendations provided in this article can greatly benefit researchers in the field of SCM. By following these proposals, the reliability and validity of research findings will be increased, researchers will be better equipped to investigate interesting questions where small samples are the norm rather than the exception (e.g., the study of dyadic supply chain relationships), and important and valid contributions to the theory and practice of SCM will be generated.

This year, Benchmarking: An International Journal (BIJ) is celebrating its 25th anniversary. The purpose of this paper is to show the historical connections and professional impact of the journal over the years. This is accomplished through a detailed bibliometric analysis (BA) of its content from 1994 to 2018. This paper also identifies leading trends that have affected BIJ during this time frame.

In this paper, the authors employ BA on data retrieved from the Scopus database. The authors used various indicators such as the most productive authors, institutions and countries, as well as the most cited papers, citing journals and articles most cited by BIJ between 1994 and 2018. Additionally, the authors have used the Gephi, VOSviewer software to map journals, keywords and institutions with bibliographic coupling and co-citation analysis.

The journal has improved its impact, productivity and reputation in the period under review. Articles published in BIJ have been cited in other journals more than 15,000 times. The most prominent themes among the articles published in BIJ are benchmarking, supply chain management and performance improvement. Significant contributions have come from authors and institutions around the globe. Co-authorships, though global, have centered around India, the USA and the UK. There is also a thematic similarity between articles from India and Thailand, and the USA and Germany, indicating high academic collaboration or prevalence of similar issues.

This paper provides evidence of the impact of BIJ, and in so doing, it helps authors to decide on the appropriateness of this publication for their research. The reader will also understand leading trends occurring in BIJ over the history of the journal.

This is the first paper that traces the progress of BIJ covering a time span of 25 years.

This study aims at reviewing the articles on the themes of manufacturing strategy (MS) published in “Benchmarking: An International Journal (BIJ)” and investigating the trends of publication for future research.

Five-stage methodology to conduct a literature review is adopted comprising: (1) article collection, (2) inclusion/exclusion criteria, (3) reviewing the articles, (4) analyzing the articles and (5) future research directions. A total of 57 articles specific to MS domain published in BIJ are reviewed. Further, a bibliometric analysis comprising keywords co-occurrence, citation and co-citation using a VOSviewer© software followed by content analysis to analyze the type of research, type of industry and type of tool/method used is carried out.

The study helps to find the scope of the journal and research gaps in the MS domain to provide future research directions. Most of the work found is survey-based or case-based in nature. However, there is a need for empirical research to be done in the field of MS.

The study facilitates researchers willing to publish in BIJ to understand different themes of accepted papers concerning MS domain. The identified research gaps and future research direction can motivate researchers and practitioners to coin new approaches in the MS domain.

A comprehensive review and analysis of the MS literature published in BIJ has been provided. To the best of authors' knowledge, the current study is the only review study in MS domain focusing on one specific journal.