Welch College’s Publication Makes List of Top Journals

Journal expands in content and reputation

Sacred Heart University’s New England Journal of Entrepreneurship (NEJE), has earned a place among the top 10 journals on entrepreneurial orientation, according to a recent study published in the Journal of Business Research (JBR).

Published by Sacred Heart’s Jack Welch College of Business & Technology (WCBT), NEJE is a peer-reviewed journal that aims to foster dialogue and innovation in studies of entrepreneurship and management of small and family-owned businesses. It publishes twice per year, with one issue designated as a special edition. It was 2020’s special edition on entrepreneurial orientation that earned NEJE a place on the Journal of Business Research’s list.

“We are very pleased by the JBR’s recognition of the New England Journal of Entrepreneurship as a leading publication. The NEJE is a serious, peer-reviewed journal that signals the WCBT’s commitment to thought-leadership in the domains of entrepreneurship and innovation. This year, we are introducing a special edition of the NEJE dedicated to social entrepreneurship, so keep an eye out for that,” said Martha Crawford, dean of the WCBT.

For Grace Guo, associate dean of the WCBT and former editor-in-chief of NEJE, this ranking is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the team that has formed around the journal. She said the achievement is also a symbol of the journal’s growth from an in-house publication founded in 1989 under the name Vanguard, to a digital journal gaining international respect. “It’s very fulfilling,” she said.

In 2004, then-NEJE editor Joshua Shuart, professor of management at the WCBT, recognized the need for the periodical to be established as a true academic journal with a broader audience. He acquired a Library of Congress number for NEJE, built a review board and initiated a digital submission process for the growing content.

In 2014, before Guo became NEJE’s editor-in-chief, she had submitted her own works to other academic journals and knew that centralized submission and review systems were available. It was again time to update NEJE. Today, authors submit papers through Emerald Group Publishing, the same company that hosts the journal’s digital edition.

Vishal Gupta, from the University of Alabama, is one of the leading scholars in the field of entrepreneurship. He worked with other editorial board members to create high standards for the publication. Gupta and other editorial board members were also instrumental in creating strategic partnerships with the Eastern Academy of Management, the Academy of Management Entrepreneurship Division and the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship. Sponsorship opportunities with these leading professional associations helped NEJE gain recognition and respect in the industry.

Andres Felipe Cortes, assistant professor of management at the WCBT, is the journal’s current editor-in-chief. As the NEJE gains more recognition, it draws more frequent and stronger submissions from colleges and universities in 19 countries, including Great Britain, India, Indonesia, China and Kenya.

Cortes said the NEJE’s exposure also has increased through its advisory board, which includes representation from institutions such as Temple University, Babson College, Iowa State University, University of Texas and Florida Atlantic University, as well as Loughborough University in the United Kingdom. This group of prominent academics shares NEJE’s articles and accomplishments within the members’ own networks, boosting the journal’s reputation, readership and recognition.

The next step for NEJE is to become part of the Emerging Sources Citation Index. In addition to increasing submissions’ quality, Cortes said expanding the number of issues per year is key to achieving this goal. “We need one more issue each year, publishing an average of four papers, to be indexed. We also need to maintain other success measures, such as increasing citations.”

To read the most recent issue, visit the NEJE webpage on Digital Commons.