Linda Alkire and Sertan Kabadayi became Co-Editors-in-Chief of the Journal of Service Management last March. We spoke with them about their vision and plans for the journal, as well as their own journeys.
Question: Linda and Sertan, can you briefly tell us about yourselves, and the importance of JOSM for your own career?
Linda: Thank you for the opportunity to share. I am an Associate Professor of Marketing at Texas State University, where I also serve as Director of the Center for Professional Sales and hold the Vicki L. West Professorship in Sales Excellence. My research focuses on Transformative Service Research (TSR) and how service can be a force for improving well-being and fostering positive societal impact.
The Journal of Service Management (JOSM) holds a very special place in my career. I published my first article in JOSMwhile I was still a Ph.D. student, which made the experience especially meaningful. Later, I had the pleasure of serving first as Social Media Coordinator and then as Managing Director for the journal for nearly ten years. Those years shaped my academic identity, expanded my professional network, and deepened my appreciation for JOSM’s mission to advance rigorous and relevant service research. I am very grateful for these experiences, which have equipped me to now co-lead the journal forward with a continued commitment to excellence and impact.
Sertan: I am the Joseph Keating, SJ Distinguished Professor in Business and Professor of Marketing at the Gabelli School of Business, Fordham University, in New York City. I also serve as the Director of both the Full-Time and Professional MBA programs. This year marks my 21st at Fordham University. My research in recent years has been focused on addressing well-being related issues especially when it comes to populations with vulnerabilities like refugees.
During the first eight years of my academic career, my publications appeared exclusively in marketing journals including Journal of Marketing and Psychology of Marketing among others. My first article in a service journal was published in the Journal of Service Management (JOSM), which also happens to be where my most cited paper was published (Bolton et al., 2013). Serving now as Co-Editor-in-Chief of the very journal where my first service article appeared feels like a deeply meaningful and proud full-circle moment in my career.
Question: You two have worked together in the past. How did this position come about?
Sertan: Saying that Linda and I have worked together would be an understatement! We’ve done a lot of “co-work” over the years. We’ve published many papers as co-authors, organized conference special sessions and tracks as track co-chairs, delivered keynotes and plenary sessions as co-presenters, and, of course, served as SERVSIG Co-Chairs for two years. So, becoming co-editors feels like the natural next step!
Linda: I was already serving as Editorial Director for JOSM, but becoming a Co-Editor wasn’t really part of my career plan—at least not yet. However, we were nominated for this position by more than 80 global service scholars. That kind of support was both overwhelming and humbling. After some reflection, we decided to embark on this new journey together.
Sertan: I wouldn’t have accepted the position if it weren’t with Linda.
Question: Since taking over, you’ve made some changes to the journal’s editorial team. Could you tell us more about those?
Sertan: Yes. One of the first things we did was to officially introduce an Associate Editor (AE) structure. We formed a strong team of 23 AEs who represent diverse areas of expertise and topics. All manuscripts are now handled by our excellent AE team, and we rely on their recommendations when making final decisions.
We also established a new Distinguished Advisory Board composed of 14 globally recognized thought leaders who provide valuable guidance to further elevate the journal’s impact and prestige.
Finally, we reviewed and expanded our Editorial Review Board (ERB), welcoming new members. We now have 90 ERB members from 23 countries—reflecting our truly global reach.
Of course, we’re delighted to continue working with Dr. Stephanie Liu as Managing Editor, along with two brilliant PhD students, Floriane Goose and Florence Nizette, who serve as our Social Media Coordinators.
Question: Why should someone submit their work to JOSM? How do you position JOSM within the service research field?
Linda: Great question. After careful consideration—and reflecting on the challenges and opportunities within service research—we developed a new positioning statement:
The Journal of Service Management (JOSM) is a leading interdisciplinary and managerial journal dedicated to advancing knowledge on the effective management of service across diverse organizational and societal contexts.
A key aspect of this positioning is our focus on the management of service. We strongly believe that service is the organizational imperative. Therefore, papers submitted to JOSM should enhance our understanding of how services are strategically designed, delivered, governed, and improved.
In addition to this emphasis on service management, we value research with real-world relevance—studies that offer actionable insights to address complex organizational and societal challenges.
Question: Is there any particular methodology or sector that has a better chance of being published in JOSM?
Linda: Not at all. JOSM welcomes conceptual, empirical, and methodological contributions that advance theory while offering strong managerial relevance across a variety of sectors—health care, professional services, hospitality, information technology, public, and non-profit services, among others.
Our website lists a wide range of topics that fall within the journal’s scope. We especially encourage interdisciplinary research that integrates insights from management, marketing, operations, human resources, information systems, and related fields to address complex challenges in service management.
Question: How do you envision the journal moving forward? What is your long-term vision?
Sertan: This is something Linda and I have spent a lot of time discussing and reflecting on. We wanted our vision for the journal to reflect who we are—not only as service scholars but also as individuals.
We both come from global backgrounds, and for each of us, community and connection are deeply important values. So, our vision for JOSM has three main pillars:
1. Adopting a developmental mindset—supporting authors throughout their publishing journey.
2. Fostering a global dialogue—engaging both academics and practitioners around the world.
3. Building an inclusive and supportive community—a space where diverse voices can thrive.
We are fully committed to realizing this vision, with the support and guidance of our wonderful colleagues in the global service community.
Question: Finally, how can readers of this interview help you achieve your goals for JOSM?
Linda: JOSM is already a well-established, rigorous, and highly respected journal in the service discipline. JOSM 2024 Impact Factor is 7.9 with a 5-year Impact Factor of 10.1. Sertan and I are determined to take it even further in terms of ranking, impact, and reputation.
We’re always looking for high-quality research related to the management of service – work that is not only rigorous and theoretically robust but also provides actionable and meaningful implications for organizations and practitioners.
We also need dedicated reviewers who can provide constructive, developmental feedback to help authors strengthen their manuscripts for eventual publication.
And finally, we encourage everyone in our community to help us spread the word—share our updates with colleagues in other disciplines and at conferences you attend.
Sertan: We also invite everyone to follow us on LinkedIn, where we post regular updates about recently published papers, upcoming special issues, and other events that JOSM supports or organizes.
Linda: And don’t forget to check out the short videos we’ve created about JOSM’s positioning, scope, and vision—they will be available on our website soon. We’d love for you to watch them and share them with your networks!
